Recipe: Roselle juice / drink / tea

The roselle or asam belanda (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a species of  hibiscus, and in Malaysia it is often referred to as "Ribena plant" as roselle juice tastes similar to Ribena. It can grow up to 2–2.5 m tall with wide leaves that are deeply three to five-lobed. The leaves and young shoots can be used in cooking, often added to curry to impart a mild sour taste.

Roselle juice / drink / tea

Roselle plant in our garden

Roselle leaves and flower

I am however most interested in the calyx. The flowers are pink and only blooms for 1-2 days before dropping off to reveal the fleshy calyx. The calyx will enlarge up to 3-4cm, and will be a bright red as the fruit matures. Within the calyx is a green seed capsule which can be dried and cracked open to obtain the seeds for replanting.

The red calyx is harvested to make roselle juice, syrup or jam. It is also suitable to be used a natural red food colouring. Since we have two roselle plants growing in the garden, I get to harvest them every 3-4 days and make roselle juice for the kids. Roselle juice is high in vitamin C and anthocyanins. I first had roselle juice at Pangkor Laut Resort, which is served cold as a welcome drink to guests.

Red calyx

Roselle calyx separated from the seed capsule

Roselle juice is very easy to make. Simply use your hands to peel the calyx and remove the seed capsule. Then place the calyx with the water into a large pot and boil for 15-20 minutes. The longer you boil it, the more concentrated the juice will be. At this point, the roselle juice will have a sourish taste, I add 3-4 tablespoons of sugar for taste, or you can also use honey. Some people do like it a lot sweeter but since this is supposed to be a healthy drink, I didn't want to use too much sugar.

Roselle juice is best served chilled, with lots of ice for a refreshing drink. For our kids, we serve it to them cooled at room temperature.

Roselle juice/drink/tea (Healthy version)
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15-20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
20 roselle calyx
2l water
3-4 tbsp caster sugar, to taste
Honey (optional)

1. Firstly, peel the seed out of the calyx. You can just use your fingers but be careful as some parts of the seeds are prickly.

2. Place roselle and water in a large pot and boil over medium high heat for 15-20 minutes. The longer you boil it, the more concentrate the juice will taste.

3. Stir in sugar, to taste.

4. Allow to cool to room temperature, then chill in fridge and serve with lots of ice cubes. If you like, you can   add some honey before serving.

A wonderfully refreshing drink for a hot day!

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