Hibiscus flower is Hawaii's beautiful state flower. It's those large flowers traditionally worn by Hawaiian (and Tahitian) girls. Since my new obsession is to include edible flowers in my recipes as much as I can, I had to find a way to use the dried Hibiscus flowers I bought at a few months ago at my local Whole Foods Market.

The flowers make a surprisingly tart, fruity tea that delivers an exotic cranberry-like flavour. They are naturally high in vitamin C, minerals and antioxydants. Jamaica, Cambodia, Hawaii all have their traditional versions, but they all more or less go this way : the petals are steep in hot water with lime/lemon juice, a sweetener, ice cubes and other spices (like ginger, mint, cloves or cinnamon). This recipe makes a colourful iced tea, but you can also enjoy it as a hot beverage all year-round.

You can't find dried flowers ? Look into the tea bags sections at your grocery or order online!

Hibiscus iced tea

Yield : 4-6 servings

1/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
5 cups water
Juice and zest of 2 organic lemons
Handful fresh mint leaves
Optional add-ins : Fresh grated ginger, cloves, cinnamon - to taste
Ice cubes

Bring water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, add the hibiscus flowers and steep for a few minutes. Discard the flowers, and pour tea into a pitcher. Let cool completely.
Add the sweetener, mint leaves and lemon juice to the pitcher. Stir to combine. Add a few ice cubes for a refreshing iced tea!