Hibiscus Tea or Agua de Jamaica

Flavored waters or agua frescas are the preferred use of over ripened fruit. Nothing goes to waste. Melons, pineapple, watermelon or strawberries are simply blended in a processor, strained and water and sugar added to your liking.

Tepache is a fermented pineapple drink with sugar, cinnamon and cloves. My husband will make it occasionally. He is the only family member that will drink fermented pineapple. The other night he made himself corn silk tea. I did not try it.

Imagine if grocers could serve it in the supermarkets. Day old fruit would not be wasted and the shoppers could have an inexpensive refresher as they are leaving the store. How could fruit that is not pretty enough to eat go bad in one day?

Our Von's has an Asian vendor making sushi. They could have an Latina making frescas. Oops, off the subject here.

Horchata (rice drink) takes some lengthy soaking and it needs blending very fine. Our one try at this drink was a failure.

Jamaica (ha-Mike-uh) water is very easy to make. I buy the bulk dried calyces of hibiscus sabdariffa at the Latino swap meet Sundays at the Citrus Community College campus. It is a favorite of mine to prepare.
Photo top right from Wikimedia Commons: hibiscus sabdariffa

I found a few new facts that my husband did not know about hibiscus tea. The portion of the plant that is steeped for the drink is the calyx, the fruit of the hibiscus sabdariffa.

The flower will last a good part of the summer and after it fades the calyx gets fleshy creating a sort of fruit. The fruit part is removed and the calyces or sepals are dried for the market. By harvest time the sepals are a very dark red.

We have all learned about the benefits of the dark fruits and vegetables. No exception with hibiscus. High in Vitamin C, antioxidants, and is a mild diuretic. There have been studies that it lowers systolic blood pressure. Move over bottled grape juice. This is cheaper and made by me.

If there are no Mexican markets in your area try the health food store for the most economical purchase of the dried calyces.

If that fails here are a few sites. Ebay and Amazon can also be a source.

Bulk Hibiscus Flowers
Starwest Botanicals

Gourmet Sleuth

Photo at top right by paperfacets.

2½ cups la flor de jamaica

Rinse quickly in strainer to rid of impurities.
Put in glass or plastic container and cover with

8 cups water

Let soak overnight or for 4 hours in the refrigerator. Can Be sun soaked, like sun tea, as well.

4 cups

red infusion

Strain into serving pitcher. Adjust to your taste.

4 cups water

Add to serving pitcher.

1/2 cup sugar

Stir into infusion.




Pour into a glass of ice. Enjoy your iced beverage.

After a couple of infusions, adjust to your own taste. I like enough sugar to mask the tartness, but not too much that it is sugary.
In the winter I like to drink it room temperature.

Notice the yellow pitcher on the right. I added a couple cups of fresh water and will have a second drinkable pitcher tomorrow.

Photo: paperfacets

No boiling involved in this method. Like sun tea. There is a hint of cranberry and without suger it is tart. The infusing allows for a thickened drink like coffee. Adjust the sugar and water to your liking. I like the thickened coffee version. It is deep red and very satisfying.

Your container with the dried Jamaica will have enough infusion to make another pitcher for serving. Add a couple of cups of water, store in the refrigerator and make another serving pitcher the next day.

Keep the infusion in the refrigerator. Prolonged warm temperature makes it bitter.

Photo: paperfacets

Aqua de Jamaica with tacos.
by greenbird_ontree


The large jugs used in Mexico for serving frescas
by miss grunzke


Big bags of dried hibiscus for market. This is how it is sold at the swap meet in Covina.
by bobbiLe Ba


Sun prepared sorrel on the island of Jamaica
by photoNiki

I learned about hibiscus tea from Mexico, but since than I found out it is a world wide drink with many names. The places it is not so common is the colder climes and the U.S. and China.

World Wide Names for Hibiscus Tea



flor de Jamica or agua de Jamica -- Mexico

wonjo -- West Africa

bissap -- National drink of Senegal

sorrel -- Tobago

carcade -- Italy

zobo or tsobo -- Nigeria

dabileni -- Mali

wanjo -- Gambia

saril -- Panama

red sorrel -- the Caribbean

chai kujarat -- Iraq

karkade --Egypt

Para todos hay, como no arrebaten

There is enough for everyone, so don't grab.

Aranda, Charles. Dichos. Proverbs and Sayings From the Spanish. New Mexico: Sunstone Press, 1977.

Wikpedia. 14 September 2011.