Culinary Uses for Sorrel (Hibiscus)

One of my guilty pleasures is exploring new  grocery stores or food shops to discover something new. 
On one of my trips a while ago, I perused the aisles at a Caribbean store in Jamaica Queens, New York.

There were lots of things that caught my eye. But, one thing in particular I came across  was a package filled with a ruby red herbal blend called "Jamaican Sorrel (Hibiscus) that caught my attention.

Using my iPhone, I did a quick google search and was impressed with what the flavor profile included. According to my search the characteristics of this impressive tea comes with fruitiness along with sour notes and tartness. 

​With the information I discovered,  I grabbed a large bag of it to purchase and have been using it ever since. 
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One of the healthy benefits of this herbal tea is that it is packed with antioxidants. According to WebMD, it also hosts a number of benefits to consuming.

Why Hibiscus Tea is Good for You

One of the traditional ways of course is to enjoy it as a hot tea or as a refreshing ice tea. This is the quickest way to reap the benefits without too much fuss.

If you would like a fun way of drinking this iced, here is my version of a healthy non-alcoholic Sangria made with hibiscus. The deep red color acts as the replacement for red wine typically in sangria. To enhance and keep this drink healthy, I rely on the sweetness from a combination of fruit which includes a superfood of goji berries, the natural sweetness of cinnamon sticks and the sweetness from elderberry syrup which you can control by the serving. 

Fruity Antioxidant Sangria

Besides drinking sorrel, you can get creative with using it to enhance homemade granola, or using in savory recipes such as tacos and quesadilla's. Here is a website that provides some creative ideas on using sorrel as well as these recipes.

Savory Recipes using Sorrel

I hope I have intrigued your interest enough to seek out this herbal blend and if you are already familiar with it, maybe you will try some of the suggestions I've mentioned in this post. 
Until next time, be well.
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Eat Good! Look Good! Feel Good!
Chef Vanessa