WHAT IS KARKADE?

Hibiscus tea or Karkade tea is dried flowers of hibiscus, the so-called Sudanese rose. In Sudan the plant is actually grown on commercial scale, as well as in Egypt.

Hibiscus tea is the infusion made from crimson or deep magenta-coloured calyces (sepals) of the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower, an herbal tea drink consumed both hot and cold by people around the world. 

It is also referred to a:

ü  Roselle (another common name for the hibiscus flower) or rosella (Australian)

ü  Flor de Jamaica in Latin America

ü  Karkadé in Jordan, Egypt and Sudan

ü  Chai Kujarat in Iraq

ü  Chai Torsh in Iran

ü  Gumamela in the Philippines

ü  Bissap Or Wonjo in West Africa

ü  Sorrel in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago

ü  Red Sorrel in the wider Caribbean, and other names in other regions

Hibiscus tea has a tart, cranberry-like flavor, and sugar is often added to sweeten the beverage. The tea contains vitamin C and minerals and is used traditionally as a mild medicine.

Hibiscus tea contains 15-30% organic acids, including citric acid, maleic acid, and tartaric acid. It also contains acidic polysaccharidesand flavonoid glycosides, such as cyanidin and delphinidin, that give it its characteristic deep red colour.