Hibiscus tea has got to be one of my favorite drinks of all time. Growing up in Texas, we went to a lot of authentic Mexican restaurants, all of which have their verities of Agua Frescas (Translated: fresh water or refreshing water) such as watermelon, cantaloupe, horchata (a sweet cinnamony rice milk drink), pineapple, but my all time favorite one is Jamaica (Hibiscus flower tea)
Jamaica (pronounced: ha-my-kah) is often served sweetened with sugar, and the taste is tart and floral. Truly, I’ve never tasted anything else quite like it. Traditionally it is served cold, but it can also be served warm.
Jamaica shouldn’t just be consumed with Mexican food, it is a perfect drink to be served anytime you would drink a lemonade or an iced tea. I love it especially during the summertime, but really, it is an all the time drink.
One thing to know about Jamaica is that the beautiful purpley-red color does stain your clothes. If you’re wearing anything white or light colored, sip very carefully, or use a straw.
Jamaica is so easy to make, it only requires 3 ingredients and one of them is water!
🎉Let’s Get Sipping!
Ingredients:
Dried Hibiscus Flowers: The star of the show is of course hibiscus. I can buy the flowers at my local grocery store, but if you can’t, you can always order it online. Rinse the dried flowers under water to remove any dust that could be one them before steeping them in boiling water. Some color will release when you’re rinsing them, that’s perfectly normal.
Sugar: You sweeten this tea to your taste. I use organic raw sugar cane for a little bit of extra nutrients as the sugar hasn’t been bleached and stripped of its minerals. You can use any sweetener of your choice if you don’t want to use sugar.
Water: To make Jamaica, you need to start with boiling water. In our home we have a reverse osmosis filter to remove according to the epa (1) “These systems can potentially remove water contaminants such as lead, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), PFAS, arsenic, bacteria, and viruses.” Note: If you have a reverse osmosis filter in your home when drinking water, make sure to supplement with minerals as the filter removes minerals in addition to the above.
Try to always use organic ingredients when possible. Avoiding the chemicals, added hormones, and pesticides that get put into our food supply is oh so important.
Jamaica (Hibiscus Flower Tea)
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Dried Hibiscus Flowers
- ½ cup Sugar
- 8 cups Water
Instructions
- Rinse your dried hibiscus flowers and add them to boiling water and let steep
- Strain out the flowers, add sugar, and ice, and serve!
Notes
One note about hibiscus, is it does tend to lower blood pressure. If you are someone with high blood pressure, or low blood pressure please consume with caution, or drink only with your doctor’s approval.(2)
There you have it, Jamaica. If you haven’t ever tried Jamaica, I sure do hope you give it a try. To me, it is one of the most refreshing and comforting drinks in the whole world, and I hope it becomes one of your favorites too.
May God bless you and yours,
<3 K & J
- “Point-of-Use Reverse Osmosis Systems.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/watersense/point-use-reverse-osmosis-systems.
- Study Shows Consuming Hibiscus Tea Lowers Blood Pressure : USDA Ars, www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/2008/study-shows-consuming-hibiscus-tea-lowers-blood-pressure/.
