Karkade or Hibiscus Tea

Recently I bought a pack of Hibiscus Tea. Well, in teabags, unfortunately. But it's good enough. For some reason this drink is not popular in US, but it is many other countries. It's a very common in Russia, so I missed in here. We call it Karkade in Russia, and not many Russians know that it actually comes from the beautiful Hibiscus flower. This tea has a distinct sour taste and bright reddish-pink color. It's very invigorating, especially, if you drink it hot and without sugar. I love it hot in the morning and cold in the evening. When you cool it down, it looses the sourness and has a just pleasant flower taste. Hibiscus tea is actually a mixture of herbal tea and hibiscus flower petals.

When I was in Mexico, I wanted to try something really local. My Mexican friend ordered Nopales or Nopal - grilled fleshy leaves of Opuntia cactus. My mom used to grow it as a pot plant in Siberia. But who would have thought that you can eat those prickly thick leaves! As for a drink, my friend recommended agua de Jamaica. And even though it is called "Jamaican Water" it's a traditional Mexican drink. Well, what do you think I said when I had the first sip? Karkade! Yes, that actually was ice cold hibiscus tea. And it was perfect on a hot day in the old colonial town of Puebla.

I think every drink is especially good in the right place and at the right time. I like my hibiscus tea on a Monday morning, to get energized for the long week! And I just wanna say "thank you" to the hibiscus plant, for giving us beautiful flowers and a tasty drink!