Friend got her first MBV order today, but her PV hasn't arrived yet. She also got Hibiscus, says it smells good, floral and a little fruity. I'm very curious.
yeah, I looked at it and thought "Hibiscus? Isn't that a flower??"
It smells floral...
It'll be interesting to see what develops....;-)
I had a problem with iguanas eating my hibiscus, so I imagine it must taste pretty good, although I've never tasted it myself.
I imagine it tasting like the Tazo Passion tea from Starbucks for some reason.
Ever have Jamaica at a Mexican restaurant? The Red Juice next to the Horchata is Jamaica.
Good stuff, the wife makes it from time to time. Also good for you.
From wickipedia
Hibiscus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Beverage
See also: Hibiscus tea
The tea made from hibiscus flowers is known by many names in many countries around the world and is served both hot and cold. The beverage is well known for its color, tanginess and flavor.
It is known as bissap in West Africa, karkadé in Egypt[citation needed] and Sudan, flor de Jamaica in Mexico, "agua de Jamaica" in Honduras, gudhal (गुड़हल) in India and gongura in Brazil. Some refer to it as roselle, a common name for the hibiscus flower.
In Jamaica, Trinidad and many other islands in the Caribbean, the drink is known as sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa; not to be confused with Rumex acetosa, a species sharing the common name sorrel). The drink is popular at Christmas time. It is served cold, mixed with other herbs, roots, spices and cane sugar. Often it is served mixed with rum or wine.
Roselle is typically boiled in an enamel-coated large stock pot as most West Indians believe the metal from aluminum, steel or copper pots will destroy the natural minerals and vitamins.[citation needed]
In Cambodia, a cold beverage can be prepared by first steeping the petals in hot water until the colors are leached from the petals, then adding lime juice (which turns the beverage from dark brown/red to a bright red), sweeteners (sugar/honey) and finally cold water/ice cubes.
Health benefits
The tea is popular as a natural diuretic; it contains vitamin C and minerals, and is used traditionally as a mild medicine.
Dieters or people with kidney problems often take it without adding sugar for its beneficial properties and as a natural diuretic.
A 2008 USDA study shows consuming hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure in a group of prehypertensive and mildly hypertensive adults. Three cups of tea daily resulted in an average drop of 8.1 mmHg in their systolic blood pressure, compared to a 1.3 mmHg drop in the volunteers who drank the placebo beverage. Study participants with higher blood pressure readings (129 or above) had a greater response to hibiscus tea: their systolic blood pressure went down by 13.2 mmHg. These data support the idea that drinking hibiscus tea in an amount readily incorporated into the diet may play a role in controlling blood pressure, although more research is required.[9]
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis has a number of medical uses in Chinese herbology.[8] Lokapure s.g.et al. their research indicates some potential in cosmetic skin care; for example, an extract from the flowers of Hibiscus rosa- sinensis has been shown to function as an anti-solar agent by absorbing ultraviolet radiation.[10]
In the Indian traditional system of medicine, Ayurveda, hibiscus, especially white hibiscus and red hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), is considered to have medicinal properties. The roots are used to make various concoctions believed to cure ailments such as cough, hair loss or hair greying. As a hair treatment, the flowers are boiled in oil along with other spices to make a medicated hair oil. The leaves and flowers are ground into a fine paste with a little water, and the resulting lathery paste is used as a shampoo plus conditioner.
Information on medicinal plants used in Indian Systems of medicine refer :
Plant Details