The Thicket Field Guide
Hibiscus (roselle)
Hibiscus sabdariffa
- Plant family
- Mallow family (Malvaceae)
- Part used
- Calyces, the fleshy red cups around the seed pod
- Where it grows
- Most likely native to Africa; it spread to Asia and the Caribbean in the 1500s and 1600s. China and Thailand grow the most today.
- Flavor
- Tart, cranberry-like.
History
Roselle goes by many names. In Egypt and Sudan the drink is karkadé; across much of the English-speaking Caribbean it’s sorrel; in Nigeria it’s sweetened into zobo; and in Mexico and Central America it becomes a light agua fresca.
The dried calyces steep to a deep red cup, which is where Hedgerow gets its color and much of its tartness.