Hibiscus Flowers in Mexican Cooking

[Richard Kilgore]

I bought a package of dried Hibiscus flowers and made the tea with it, but was wondering if Hibiscus flowers (fresh or dried) have other uses in Mexican cooking?

[caroline]

Hi Richard,

The answer is yes even though I don't have a comprehensive listing. My neighbor, for example, stuffs mature nopal penques (paddles) with chopped tender nopales, cheese, and cooked flores de jamaica and bakes the lot. You eat the inside where the flowers make a nice texture and taste contrast to the gooey cheese and nopales.

Rachel

[theabroma]

Chef Heredia at Hacienda Los Morales in Mexico City is known for a nueva cocina dish of tournedos of beef, stuffed with huitalacoche, and doused with a beurre rouge made with jamaica flowers. The garnish is the dried flowers flash fried until crisp and tart; they are strewn around the plate.

As odd as it sounds, it is a lovely dish - the pleasing tartness and crunch of the jamaica flowers balances the suave meat and the buttery sauce and huitlacoche stuffing.

Theabroma

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks, Rachel -- the stuffed nopales sound very good. You don't eat the outter leaf, just the stuffing?

Sharon -- Chef Heredia's dish does sound lovely. Thanks for describing it in such attractive detail.

[theabroma]

It just occurred to me that you said you made the tea with the jamaica flowers (Hibiscus sabdariffa; 'sorrel' in Jamaica). Mexicans also make an aqua fresca out of it - I guess it would qualify as and iced tea.

hey steep the flowers in very hot water, and sweeten to taste. I have also had it with lime juice added, and on a breakfast buffet at a hotel on the Rio Grijalva in Villahermosa, Tabasco. There they had myriad pitchers of fresh juices - nopal, orange, g'fruit, beet, etc. and a pitcher of agua de jamaica.

One of the waitresses suggested that I give it a whirl mixed with my orange juice. It was rather refreshing ... tho' a blinding shade of orange!

Theabroma

[Richard Kilgore]

Yes, that's they way I have been doing it -- iced.

Isn't this the main ingredient in "Red Zinger" tea in the US? Tastes very similar.

[theabroma]

Isn't this the main ingredient in "Red Zinger" tea in the US? Tastes very similar.

You have unmasked the red-head in Red Zinger tea! It's positively loaded w/Vit C, so aside from being pretty and tasty, it's actually good for you. Can't say that about too many things these days...

Oh yeah, it's also low in carbs ... if you use Splenda.

I say that because I have many students in classes who forever question what can be done with this or that thing to make it low net carb.

BTW if you can steep the blossoms in simple syrup, freeze it in ice cube trays (it you don't have an ice cream maker) and then whizz them in a food processor to make a Hibiscus granita (red slushie).. It's a real useful addition to the pantry.

Theabroma

[cbarre02]

They can be used in gellees, vineagrettes, sorbets, any thing with strawberry.

[andiesenji]

I bought a package of dried Hibiscus flowers and made the tea with it, but was wondering if Hibiscus flowers (fresh or dried) have other uses in Mexican cooking?

You can make a granita from the hibiscus tea.

Make the tea double strength, sweeten to taste the pour into a freezable container.

when it has gotten to the slushy stage begin mixing and scraping it and continue this until the entire batch is in crystals.

There is also a gelatin dessert made with hibiscus flavor.

I have seen sweet rice dishes flavored with hibiscus. Sort of like rice pudding.

[Varmint]

I had a great sweetened hibiscus drink at a taqueria yesterday. As I discussed with my friend, I'd think that this flavor could be used in a lot of exotic cocktails. I'm surprised it hasn't caught on more.

[shelora]

Hibiscus margaritas - yes, must find that recipe again.

[nickarte]

A nice alternative to straight agua de jamaica is to add some fresh ginger syrup. (just boil a bunch of shredded ginger with some sugar and water and strain. The flavors go great together.

How's that for a little "Asian-fusion" for ya?

[kcd]

Just back from Oaxaca, where I was able to take a few cooking classes. According to Iliana de la Vega (from the Naranja restaurant), you can strain and reduce by about 2/3 and use the resulting concentrate for either a viniagrette, or in a Margarita (or with vodka.)

kcd

[ASM NY]

I recently had a "Jamaica Mole" which was delicious. Sadly, I do not have the recipe, but it tasted as if a concentrated jamaica "water" had been mixed in with some of the elements of mole negro. It was very sweet and it was served with toasted Jamaica flower, which also gave it a great crunchy texture.

[Jason Perlow]

At the Pig Pickin' in Raleigh last weekend, we had Paletes (Ice pops) made with the essence of hibiscus flowers combined with berry juice. A place called Loco Pops in Durham makes them.

[Chris Amirault]

Apparently, there is an Egyptian drink that is very similar to the Mexican hibiscus drink. We served it last night with ground lamb kabobs, taboulleh, hummous, and a few other things: perfect.

Anyone know a good mail order source?

[Wolfert]

I purchased hibiscus tea from this mail order source www.nilevalleyherbs.com

Also, I think you can find this brand at Whole Foods .

Alain Passard published a dessert recipe combining strawberries and a hibiscus syrup on the web.

[Pan]

Apparently, there is an Egyptian drink that is very similar to the Mexican hibiscus drink. We served it last night with ground lamb kabobs, taboulleh, hummous, and a few other things: perfect.

Anyone know a good mail order source?

←

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/

Good organic hibiscus from Tanzania at a good price.

[bjcohan]

I make a sorbet of flor de jamaica for our restaurant. For many of our customers it is their first introduction to jamaica ... until I tell them about Red Zinger.

The sorbet is very easy and very popular. I just steep a bunch of jamaica to make a very strong tea, then mix it with sugar syrup and freeze in the Simac into a gorgeous fuchsia sorbet.

I serve it in a martini glass garnished with a twist of lime. If I had hibiscus flowers I'd use those.

Barb

Edited September 23, 2005 by bjcohan (log)

[shelora]

I make a sorbet of flor de jamaica for our restaurant.  For many of our customers it is their first introduction to jamaica ... until I tell them about Red Zinger.

The sorbet is very easy and very popular.  I just steep a bunch of jamaica to make a very strong tea, then mix it with sugar syrup and freeze in the Simac into a gorgeous fuchsia sorbet. 

I serve it in a martini glass garnished with a twist of lime.  If I had hibiscus flowers I'd use those.

Barb

←

Do you add more sugar syrup to make a sorbet than you would to make an agua fresca?

Great to hear a new voice on the forum here. Welcome.

Shelora

[bjcohan]

I make a sorbet of flor de jamaica for our restaurant.  For many of our customers it is their first introduction to jamaica ... until I tell them about Red Zinger.

The sorbet is very easy and very popular.  I just steep a bunch of jamaica to make a very strong tea, then mix it with sugar syrup and freeze in the Simac into a gorgeous fuchsia sorbet. 

I serve it in a martini glass garnished with a twist of lime.  If I had hibiscus flowers I'd use those.

Barb

←

Do you add more sugar syrup to make a sorbet than you would to make an agua fresca?

Great to hear a new voice on the forum here. Welcome.

Shelora

←

Gracias, Shelora.

Yes, it does take more syrup to make the sorbet so that it will freeze properly, but for some reason -- perhaps the temperature of the sorbet -- it doesn't taste too sweet. I wish I could give you precise measurements, but I regularly violate the most sacrosanct rules of dessert making. I don't measure these things. I make this so often that I do it by eye. If it's too crystalline as it freezes, I add a touch more syrup. It makes professionals wince, but it always turns out well somehow.

All of the recipes I learned in Mexico were like that -- I called it the "mas o menos school of culinary arts."

This forum is great. I'll try to swing by as often as I can, when life doesn't get in the way.

Saludos,

Barb

[AzianBrewer]

I want to bring some back from Playa del Carmen a week ago but afraid that might not clear customs.

Edited October 25, 2005 by AzianBrewer (log)

[shelora]

I want to bring some back from Playa del Carmen a week ago but afraid that might not clear customs.

Click to see pic

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There is no reason why dried hibiscus flowers would not clear customs. Bring back some next time.

s