Hibiscus Drink
Ingredients
30-40 single red hibiscus blooms
1 litre/2 pints/4 cups boiling water
freshly squeezed lime juice
sugar to taste
Directions
Take about 30 freshly picked single red hibiscus flowers, preferably from your own garden so you know they are not contaminated by chemical sprays. Remove the calyx and the centre pistil and put only the petals into a heatproof bowl.
Pour 4-6 cups of boiling water over the petals, cover and leave to cool. Strain and discard the petals, the liquid will be a pretty, clear pink.
Add strained lime juice and sugar to taste and serve as a refreshing
beverage. Said to have blood purifying properties. It may also be
served as a hot drink after a shorter steeping time.
Recipe excerpted from Encyclopedia of Asian Food by Charmaine Solomon (Periplus Editions, 1998)