The times they are a-changin’.
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I make a wine with Sorrel, or at least what Trini’s call sorrel, which is what many use for Hibiscus tea. My mom uses (tt) Sorrel to make a red cake… similar to the Caribbean black rum cake… Caribbean folks call Roselle– Sorrel. However sorrel is also a spring greens used to make sorrel soup… Then I learned from my Nigerian friend they cook the green part of the sorrel Which Caribbean folks throw away (as far as i Know) so I decided to read up on Roselle & sorrel
I’m still not sure why it is classed as a type of a type of hibiscus.
Exotic and delicately beautiful, the hibiscus plant is a tall, erect annual cultivated in the tropics and subtropics. There are over 300 species of hibiscus, including Hibiscus abelmoschus (musk-mallow), H. rosa-sinensis (tropical hibiscus) and H. sabdariffa, also known as Guinea sorrel, Jamaica sorrel, and roselle. All belong to the Malvaceae (mallow) family, along with cocoa, okra, and cotton. www.frontiercoop.com/
Roselle is also high in anti-oxidants, great for cancer and diabetes… who knew – so it’s great as a daily tea
- I still prefer my sorrel as liquor,
- I can make Jams and jellies also
- Roselle as hot or cold beverages…
- I can also always freeze the leaves in ice – cubes… to garnish a summer iced tea.
- It’s a great natural dye
- I have to try Roselle in a traditional red velvet cake recipe instead of beets
- I want to taste the leaves of the roselle plant for food – Anyone got an African recipes?
- and try it in the Polish Sorrel soup recipes http://localfoods.about.com/od/herbs/ss/Sorrel.htm
- It’s also a great natural body hair and skin care, as well as a hair dye…
I have always been fascinated and inspired by both teh Hibiscus flower and the Sorrel that I have known but who knew … What a versatile plant!