Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus water)
Andrea Marcum
This short yoga talk with Andrea Marcum takes you to Costa Careyas, Mexico where she shows you just how easy it is to make this delicious drink. You just might forget you are not at the beach as you grab for this delicious umbrella drink. Enjoy!
Hibiscus Heaven Blog Post
Hibiscus tea (known in Mexico as Agua De Jamaica) is a beverage consumed around the world from West Africa to India – Cambodia to Egypt. It was said to have been one of the preferred drinks of the pharaohs and is a traditional wedding toast to the bride and groom in Sudan. It’s served both hot and cold and there are a variety of recipes from region to region. Derived from hibiscus flowers, the bright red color is a intoxicating (without actually being intoxicating) and the taste is kind of like an amazing combination of red zinger tea and cranberry juice. Hibiscus is high in vitamin C and has anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to lower blood pressure too. According to Ayurveda, India’s traditional medicine, hibiscus has medicinal properties that can help cure anything from a cough to covering gray hair…
In addition to the preparation I walk you through in the above video, here are a few globally inspired recipe ideas for hibiscus heaven.
Start with your basic recipe: 1 cup of dried hibiscus flowers in 3-4 cups of water (this will yield about 8 cups when finished) Allow to steep for several hours. (I like to use warm water.) Add one or two tablespoons of cane sugar, honey, brown sugar or agave. When cool, run mixture through strainer and add more water to taste (it can be fun to add sparkling water or even lemon-lime soda too).
Worldly ways to riff on your hibiscus base:
- Try adding a tablespoon of chopped fresh ginger
- A sprig of fresh mint
- A teaspoon of orange flower water or orange zest
- ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- A half-cup of fresh squeezed lemon or lime juice
- Remember you can drink it warm too, and perhaps add half a cinnamon stick
In case you’re wondering, yes, you can get dried hibiscus flowers online- I’ve included a link for you to follow. Dried Hibiscus Flowers