The Healing Powers of Hibiscus
GRK Hibiscus Raspberry Cooler is the perfect thirst quencher on a hot summer day. (Photo by Brittany Beryl)
Nothing beats a cool and refreshing beverage on a hot afternoon. GRK has you covered this week with our Hibiscus Raspberry Cooler! Did you know that in addition to being a beautiful tropical flower, hibiscus also has potent medicinal value? We love blending hibiscus with other summer offerings (such as tart raspberries) both for their complimentary flavors and to pacify extra heat in the system brought on by these warm summer days. But hibiscus isn’t just for cooling down in the summer. There are benefits to consuming the vibrant flower petals throughout the year!
We asked Dr. Rachel Farber—a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac), who has been serving Santa Cruz and the greater Bay Area for 20 years—to give us a little insight on the healing properties of hibiscus.
Dr. Farber: “In addition to making a delicious and beautiful tea, hibiscus flower is touted in Chinese medicine for its gentle healing properties. It belongs in the category of "phlegm relieving" herbs that help to transform the stagnation of fluids. For that reason, it can be a perfect herb to steep as tea or add to a blend to help with a chronic cough or congestion.”
Hibiscus Raspberry Cooler with a splash of lemon. (Photo by Brittany Beryl)
Hibiscus is also used as a heart tonic. The deep red hue of this plant mimics the physical system it supports in humans: blood and the cardiovascular system. Hibiscus contains anthocyanins — the red, blue, and purple pigments of plants that act as antioxidants, supporting blood vessels, and protecting the heart from oxidative damage. This magical flower is also proven to have a positive effect on normalizing blood sugar and in maintaining a healthy insulin response.
Whether you’re battling with seasonal allergies, fighting a cold, or looking for cardiovascular support, hibiscus is an ingredient you’ll want to keep on hand with your tea selection. Buy it in loose leaf form, and steep the petals solo or blend with other herbs. Rooibos, rose hips, and hawthorn berry when steeped alongside hibiscus petals creates a deep red pigmented heart tonic that we think you’ll love.
Thanks for taking a deep dive with us into some of the properties that make the hibiscus plant so special. Through this blog series, we hope to inspire a desire to learn more about the nutritional aspects of some of our favorite edible plants. At GRK, we are dedicated to crafting unique offerings with quality ingredients that are not only delicious, but support our bodies and their complex systems!
Our take on a Pisco Sour using GRK Hibiscus Infusion with Citrus and Ginger. (Photo by Brittany Beryl)
Make our Hibiscus Raspberry Cooler at Home
Yields approx 5 cups
¼ cup good quality loose leaf hibiscus
4.75 cup hot water
2 tbsp lime juice
0.5 lbs raspberries
3 tbsp honey
1 tsp sea salt
Place the loose hibiscus in hot water, cover and allow to steep for at least 30 minutes. You can let it steep longer, even over night, to extract more potency. Strain out the petals and throw them on the compost pile. In a blender, blend the hibiscus infusion with honey, lime juice, salt and raspberries for about 30 seconds. It will be frothy! Strain a second time for a silky smooth mouth feel or enjoy with all the seeds and the extra fiber they bring!
Get crafty and play with adding other fruits, skip the honey, mix with other juices (we love it with orange juice) or juice in some ginger for a spicy kick. Let us know what you come up with! We might even feature your recipe on a future menu!
Cheers to your health!
Wishing you wellness, always,
Mary
Mary Smith has her Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition and Food Science, and serves as GRK’s in-house nutrition expert.
Brittany Cole is a photographer based in Santa Cruz, CA; you can find her work here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING SOURCES:
Body Into Balance: An Herbal Guide to Holistic Self-Care by Maria Noel Groves