Hibiscus, aka Roselle, aka Rosella aka Florida Cranberry…
My first ever post on this site back in ’09 featured a recipe for a Flip cocktail, as anyone who knows me well enough will know this style of cocktail is my vice, if there’s one a menu I’ll go for it every time. The recipe in question in fact featured a hibiscus conserve that I received from a supplier in Malaysia, and they have just updated their site with this said recipe getting a look in amongst some other interesting ideas on how to utilise hibiscus in drinks. Pop over to their site to learn more about Roselle Farms and also here’s a link directly to my Hibiscus Flip recipe.
In Australia we know hibiscus as the name suggests, or the otherwise popular rosella. Depending on the variety and where it has been grown though throughout the world it can take on a number of pseudo names. You can liken the flavour to a tart plum perhaps, the colour is of a deep raspberry, almost blood-like. Its cultivation does best in tropical conditions, and so can grow practically anywhere in the world where this climate exists. Cultivation in Malaysia has been around in earnest since the 1990s, and since then has burgeoned into a fully fledged industry.
It’s been around forever in this country and seems to suffer from fleets of interest from bartenders, popular one day and back of mind the next. The juices and cordials, tinctures and flowers have infinite uses for drinks, they’re worthy of a little more attention me thinks.
DD
