Hibiscus Powder

Hibiscus flower also goes by the name jamaica, sorrel, chai torsh, bissap, and many others. From Iran to Mexico to Tobago this crimson blossom has a serious fan following. Hibiscus flowers are a sort of miracle plant. The leaves are used to make healing compounds. The seeds have diuretic properties. The fibrous stems are used to make burlap. And the sepals – the fleshy par that holds the flower – are used for food coloring and for tisanes.

It’s the tisane part we’re interested in, of course. The flavor of hibiscus is very cranberry-like with an added floral quality to it. Often citrus juice or other fruit juices are added, sometimes black tea, and almost always a sweetener is stirred in to offset the tartness.

Powdered hibiscus makes for a quick tea. Add hot water or green tea, give it a shake and a bit of sugar, pour it in a bottle and go. Instant agua de jamaica. For a more confectionary application roll homemade chocolate truffles in hibiscus powder as opposed to cocoa powder for sweet-tart treats with a broody pink complexion. For the jam maker, a teaspoon of hibiscus powder added to stone fruit or berry jams adds complexity and a pleasant tart tang.

NOTE: In the inspection and processing of a 14,000 lb. shipment of conventional hibiscus our supplier received in February 2021, they discovered about a dozen peanut shell remnants (each less than 1/2 inch in size) which would equate to finding a total of 4 or 5 peanut shells (not actual peanuts, but shells) in 14,000 pounds of product received. This is due to the common practice of intercropping hibiscus and peanuts. While the incidence of peanut shell remnants appears to be very low, we wanted to make our customers aware of this slight possibility.