Best Time To Drink Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea is a delicious herbal tea with lots of health benefits. The bright red color and tart cranberry-like flavor make hibiscus tea stand out among all herbal teas. Delicious both hot and cold, you may want to drink hibiscus tea all day long.
But what is the best time to drink hibiscus tea? Hibiscus tea doesn’t contain any caffeine, so you can drink it at any time of the day – in the morning, noon, or in the evening. The only thing is that you shouldn’t drink too many cups of hibiscus tea per day.
This article is a comprehensive guide to hibiscus tea. Continue reading to learn what hibiscus tea tastes like, what are the pros and cons of drinking hibiscus tea, how much of it you should drink in a day, and a lot more.
What Is Hibiscus Tea?
Hibiscus tea is a herbal tea made from the petals of the hibiscus plant. This makes it different from the majority of herbal teas as those are made from leaves, roots, or seeds of plants.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of hibiscus tea is its color. This tea has a bright red color. The longer you steep it the deeper it gets.
Hibiscus tea is widely available in stores and online. You can find hibiscus tea in many forms.
Most commonly, hibiscus tea is found in tea bags and in loose petal form. You can also buy ready-to-drink hibiscus tea as well as hibiscus powder made of dried hibiscus petals.
If you happen to have access to fresh hibiscus flowers, you can use them to brew hibiscus tea too. Tea made with fresh hibiscus flowers will turn out just as delicious and healthy.
What Does Hibiscus Tea Taste Like?
Unlike most floral teas, hibiscus tea doesn’t have much of a floral taste. fcodf
Hibiscus tea tastes as unique as it looks. This red tea has a fruity yet tart flavor with sweet and sour notes. The tartness of hibiscus tea makes it resemble cranberry juice.
If you don’t like the flavor of hibiscus tea on its own, you can create hibiscus tea blends to customize the flavor.
For example, you can mix hibiscus tea with green tea leaves. Hibiscus green tea turns out to be less sour and more refreshing.
To make hibiscus tea sweeter, you can add dried rose hips, lychee, and Goji berries to it. To enhance the fruity flavors of hibiscus tea, you can add various berries to it.
Is Hibiscus Tea Caffeine Free?
Hibiscus tea is naturally caffeine-free. But we recommend you always read the ingredient list. The tea you have bought may be a blend of various teas, including black tea which contains the highest amount of caffeine.
Being caffeine-free, hibiscus tea is a great option for people who are trying to drink less coffee.
Hibiscus tea helps improve focus. If you drink too many cups of coffee a day to help you keep working or studying, try drinking a moderate amount of hibiscus tea instead.
What Is Hibiscus Tea Good For?
Hibiscus tea has been consumed by people for thousands of years. This, along with many studies, comes to prove that hibiscus tea is indeed very healthy. Here are some of the key health benefits of hibiscus tea:
- Rich in antioxidants
- Helps lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels
- May help reduce bad cholesterol levels
- Has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties
- May aid weight loss
- May promote liver health
Can You Drink Hibiscus Tea Every Day?
You can drink hibiscus tea every day so long as you are not drinking too much of it.
If you love hibiscus tea and drink it every day, we recommend you get high-quality hibiscus tea. Poor-quality hibiscus tea may contain unwanted additives which beats the purpose of drinking this healthy herbal tea.
What Is The Best Time To Drink Hibiscus Tea?
The best time to drink hibiscus tea is any time of the day. You can drink this tea in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening.
A cup of hibiscus tea can substitute your morning coffee or black tea while cold hibiscus tea is an amazing afternoon treat.
Hibiscus tea also has a calming effect and contains melatonin. You can drink this tea every day before bed to regulate your sleep cycle.
How Much Hibiscus Tea Can You Drink Per Day?
It’s easy to drink too much hibiscus tea if enjoy the flavor of this herbal tea. But hibiscus tea is only healthy if you drink it in moderation.
Like most other herbal teas, drinking too much hibiscus tea may have unpleasant side effects including liver damage.
It is recommended to drink 1-3 cups of hibiscus tea a day. You may want to drink less hibiscus tea or avoid drinking it altogether if you are taking certain medications or have health issues hibiscus tea may interfere with.
For instance, hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure. This means that you shouldn’t drink it if you have low blood pressure or you are already taking medication to raise it.
How To Make Hibiscus Tea
You can drink hibiscus tea hot and cold. No matter how you will be serving the tea and what other ingredients you will add to it, you need to first steep the petals.
Here is how to steep hibiscus tea using dried hibiscus petals:
- Gather the ingredients and boil some water.
- Check the hibiscus petals for any stems and discard them.
- Pour some boiled water into a teapot, and swirl it around to warm the teapot. Discard the water.
- Add the hibiscus petals into the teapot. Use one cup of dried hibiscus petals for every 8 cups of water.
- Pour hot water over the dried hibiscus petals.
- Cover the teapot and steep.
- Steep the hibiscus petals for at least 10 minutes. Steep them longer if you like stronger tea.
- Strain to separate the petals from the tea.
- Pour the hibiscus tea into teacups and enjoy.
- You can drink hibiscus tea with or without sugar. You can sweeten hot hibiscus tea using your favorite sweetener – granulated sugar, sugar substitute, syrups, honey, etc.
For a visual tutorial, take a look at this video from Whisk Affair on YouTube.
How To Make Cold Brew Hibiscus Tea
The summertime is the perfect time of the year to start making hibiscus iced tea. Here’s how to make cold brew hibiscus tea step-by-step.
- Put dried hibiscus petals into a pitcher, bottle, or glass container.
- Pour room-temperature filtered water over the hibiscus leaves.
- Cover the container and put it into the fridge.
- For rich flavor, let it steep for at least two hours.
- Once the cold brew reaches your desired intensity, strain it.
- Pour into a glass, add ice, and serve.
- If you like it sweet, sweeten cold brew hibiscus tea using simple syrup.
You can also make hibiscus iced tea using boiled water. Let the petals steep in hot water, then strain, allow the tea to cool, and serve with ice.
How Long Is Hibiscus Tea Good For?
Once you brew hibiscus tea, you can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days and use it to make refreshing cold drinks whenever needed.
Store brewed hibiscus tea in an airtight covered container. A pitcher, glass bottle, or mason jars would work well.
As for dried hibiscus petals in loose form or in tea bags, it is best to store them in an airtight bag or container in a cool place away from sunlight and humidity.
Dried hibiscus petals will last up to two years. They will be safe to use past this time too though the flavor will gradually deteriorate.
Traditional Hibiscus Beverages And When To Drink Them
Hibiscus tea has been a popular drink for thousands of years. It is not surprising that many countries have traditional drinks made with hibiscus flowers.
Here are some of the most popular hibiscus beverages and when to drink them:
- Agua de Jamaica – Despite its name, Agua de Jamaica is most popular in Mexico. This cold drink is commonly made with hibiscus flowers, ginger, lime juice, cinnamon, orange slices, and sugar. This refreshing hibiscus beverage is best served as an afternoon drink.
- Egyptian Karkade – The Egyptian take on hibiscus tea is known as karkade. Egyptian karkade is typically made with dried hibiscus petals and granulated sugar. You may want to avoid adding sugar to Egyptian Karkade if you are going to drink it in the evening before bed.
- Zobo – Zobo is a traditional drink made with hibiscus petals. This drink also contains fresh ginger, various citrus fruits, spices, and sugar. As this beverage is sweetened with sugar, it is not recommended to drink it before bed.
Other Ways To Use Hibiscus Tea
If you don’t drink hibiscus tea that often, a box of dried hibiscus flowers will go a long way for you. Don’t let dried hibiscus sit in your cupboard for too long.
The petals will gradually lose their potency and hibiscus tea will turn out less aromatic.
Here are a few creative ways to use hibiscus tea:
- Make hibiscus simple syrup. If you like using simple syrup to sweeten drinks and you also love the flavor of hibiscus, then it’s a great idea to make hibiscus simple syrup.
- To make hibiscus tea syrup, you will need to combine a cup of sugar with a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Then add half a cup of dried hibiscus petals and steep the mixture for at least 30 minutes. Then strain the syrup and your hibiscus simple syrup is ready.
- You can use hibiscus simple syrup to sweeten your cold drinks as well as white wine and cocktails.
- Use dried hibiscus as a garnish. If you have dried hibiscus petals somewhere in your kitchen and you don’t use them to brew tea, it’s high time you started using them to garnish cocktails and desserts. Dried hibiscus flowers will add a pop of color to your food and a touch of tart zingy flavor.
- Make chamoy sauce. Chamoy sauce is a savory sauce used in Mexican cuisine. This sauce can be made of a combination of different ingredients, including dried hibiscus petals.
- Make a hibiscus tea latte. A hibiscus tea latte is another amazing drink you can make using hibiscus brew. It sounds fancy but is really easy to make. Steep hibiscus tea and sweeten it using honey, sugar, or a syrup of your choice. Froth your favorite milk, add it to the hibiscus tea, and enjoy.
3 Best Hibiscus Teas You Can Buy
Hibiscus tea is healthy and you can drink it at any time of the day. To get the most out of hibiscus tea, we recommend you get organic hibiscus tea with no artificial additives.
Here are our favorites!
1. Traditional Medicinals Organic Hibiscus Herbal Tea
If you are looking for the best hibiscus tea with great flavor and health benefits, then this one by Traditional Medicinals is what we recommend you get.
This hibiscus tea doesn’t contain GMOs and flavor and color enhancers. Instead, it is a blend of hibiscus flowers, blackberry leaves, and West Indian lemongrass leaves.
All these ingredients are organic and create a tea flavor that is tart, tangy, and fruity in a balanced way.
As the manufacturer claims, this hibiscus herbal tea is specifically good for supporting the cardiovascular system.
2. The Tao Of Tea Hibiscus Ginger Tea
Hibiscus tea is very healthy in and of itself. But adding ginger to it makes it a lot healthier. Ginger also changes up the flavor of hibiscus tea.
Once you take a sip of this hibiscus ginger tea, you will experience a sweet-tart flavor followed by a warm and spicy aftertaste.
The Tao of Tea hibiscus ginger tea comes in a loose-leaf form. This means that you can control the intensity of the brew. With loose leaf hibiscus tea, the dried flowers also have more room to expand.
They infuse the water with a richer hibiscus aroma compared to hibiscus tea in bags.
So, if you like using loose leaf tea and you don’t mind ginger in your tea either, then this is one of the best hibiscus teas you can get.
3. Now Foods Organically Hip Hibiscus Tea
Now Foods hibiscus tea is a great option if you want to experience pure hibiscus flavor.
Unlike the other two options on this list, this tea contains only one ingredient – dried organic hibiscus flowers.
There are no artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives in this tea but you are still getting bright fuchsia color and tart fruity flavor.
There are 24 tea bags in a box of Now Foods hibiscus tea. You can use them to make warm relaxing hibiscus tea or a glass of refreshing cold tea for summer gatherings.
Related Questions
Can All Hibiscus Flowers Be Used For Tea?
There are hundreds of hibiscus species in nature. But not all of them can be used for tea. Hibiscus sabdariffa and hibiscus acetosella are the most common hibiscus flowers used for tea.
Can You Dry Hibiscus Flowers For Tea?
If you are sure that the hibiscus species growing in your garden can be used for tea, then go ahead and dry them to use in aromatic and healthy herbal teas.
Snip the flowerheads using a pair of scissors. Wash the flowers and dehydrate them under the sun, in the dehydrator, or in the oven.
Don’t use hibiscus flowers for tea if you have used pesticides on them.
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