Culinary In
Bihar and
Jharkhand roselle is also known as "kudrum" in local language. The bright red petal of the fruit is used for
chutney which is sweet and sour in taste. In
Saputara region (near
Maharashtra/
Gujarat MP border), roselle is called
khate fule also called as 'ambade fule' by local tribal language. The khate fule leaves are mixed with green chillies, salt, some garlic to prepare a chutney and
bhaji which is served with
jowar (sorghum) or
bajra (millet) made
bakho (a flat bread). This is eaten by tribals as breakfast to start their day. A dry dish or sukhi bajji is prepared with khate fule leaves. In
Andhra cuisine, roselle is called
gongura and is extensively used. The leaves are steamed with lentils and cooked with
dal. Another unique dish is prepared by mixing fried leaves with spices and made into a
gongura pacchadi, the most famous dish of Andhra and
Telangana often described as king of all Andhra foods. In
Manipuri, it is called
Sougri and it is used as a vegetable. It is generally cooked without oil by boiling with some other herbs and dried fish and is a favorite of the Manipuri people. Almost every household has this plant in their homes. In
Burmese cuisine, called
chin baung ywet (), the roselle is widely used and considered affordable. It is perhaps the most widely eaten and popular vegetable in Myanmar. The leaves are fried with garlic, dried or fresh prawns and green chili or cooked with fish. A light soup made from roselle leaves and dried prawn stock is also a popular dish. Among the Paites tribe of the Manipur
Hibiscus sabdariffa and
Hibiscus cannabinus locally known as
anthuk are cooked along with chicken, fish, crab or pork or any meat, and cooked as a soup as one of their traditional cuisines. In the Garo Hills of Meghalaya, it is known as galda and is consumed boiled with pork, chicken or fish. After monsoon, the leaves are dried and crushed into powder, then stored for cooking during winter in a rice powder stew, known as galda gisi pura. In the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, the plant is locally known as
jajew, and the leaves are used in local cuisine, cooked with both dried and fresh fish. The Bodos and other indigenous Assamese communities of north east India cook its leaves with fish, shrimp or pork along with boiling it as vegetables which is much relished. Sometimes they add native lye called
karwi or
khar to bring down its tartness and add flavour. In the Philippines, the leaves and flowers are used to add sourness to the chicken dish
tinola (chicken stew). In Vietnam, the young leaves, stems and fruits are used for cooking soups with fish or eel. In Mali, the dried and ground leaves, also called
djissima, are commonly used in Songhaï cuisine, in the regions of Timbuktu, Gao and their surroundings. It is the main ingredient in at least two dishes, one called
djissima-gounday, where rice is slowly cooked in a broth containing the leaves and lamb, and the other dish is called
djissima-mafé, where the leaves are cooked in a tomato sauce, also including lamb. Note that djissima-gounday is also considered an affordable dish. In Namibia, it is called
mutete, and it is consumed by people from the Kavango region in northeastern Namibia. In the central African nations of
Congo-Kinshasa,
Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon the leaves are referred to as
oseille or
ngaï-ngaï, and are used puréed, or in a sauce, often with fish and/or aubergines.
Beverage In Africa, roselle is commonly used to make a sugary herbal tea that is sold on the street. The dried flowers can be found in every market. Roselle is used in Nigeria to make a refreshing drink known as zobo and natural fruit juices of pineapple and watermelon are added. Ginger is also sometimes added to the refreshing drink.In Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Benin, calyces are used to prepare cold, sweet drinks popular in social events, often mixed with mint leaves, dissolved menthol candy, and/or fruit flavors. The Sudanese karkadeh (كركديه) is a cold drink made by soaking the dried roselle calyces in cold water overnight in a refrigerator with sugar and some lemon or lime juice added. It is then consumed with or without ice cubes after the flowers have been strained. In Lebanon, toasted pine nuts are sometimes added. In the Caribbean, a drink is made from the roselle fruit (the calyces with the seed pods removed). It is prepared by boiling fresh, frozen or dried roselle fruit in water for 8 to 10 minutes (or until the water turns red), then adding sugar.
Bay leaves,
cloves or ginger may also be added during boiling. It is often served chilled. This is done in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana,
Antigua,
Montserrat, Barbados, Belize, St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada,
Jamaica, the
US Virgin Islands and St. Kitts and Nevis where the plant is called
sorrel. The drink is one of several inexpensive beverages (
aguas frescas) commonly consumed in Mexico, Central America and
Colombia; they are typically made from fresh fruits, juices or extracts. In Mexican restaurants in the US and Latin America, the beverage is known simply as
Jamaica ( ) or
agua de Jamaica. It is a popular beverage in Jamaica, consumed as a tea, beer and spiced-infused drink, which is sometimes flavored with rum as a Christmas staple. It is very popular in Trinidad and Tobago especially as a seasonal drink at Christmas where cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves are preferred to ginger.The Carib Brewery, a Trinidad and Tobago brewery, produces a "shandy sorrel" in which the tea is combined with beer. In the US, a beverage known as
hibiscus cooler is made from the tea, a sweetener, and sometimes juice of apple, grape or lemon. The beverage is sold by some juice companies. With the increasing popularity of Mexican cuisine in the US, the calyces are sold in bags usually labeled "flor de Jamaica" and have long been available in health food stores in the U.S. for making tea. In addition to being a popular homemade drink,
Jarritos, a popular brand of Mexican soft drinks, makes a flor de Jamaica flavored carbonated beverage. Imported Jarritos can be readily found in the U.S. Beverages made from the roselle fruit are included in a category of "red drinks" associated with West Africa consumed by
African Americans. Such red drinks, now usually carbonated soft drinks, are commonly served in soul food restaurants and at African-American social events, including Juneteenth, a celebration of the emancipation of slaves. In the UK, the dried calyces and ready-made sorrel syrup are widely and cheaply available in Caribbean and Asian grocers. The fresh calyces are imported mainly during December and January to make Christmas and New Year infusions, which are often made into cocktails with rum. They are very perishable, rapidly developing fungal rot, and need to be used soon after purchase — unlike the dried product, which has a long shelf-life. In Thailand, roselle is generally drunk as a cool drink, and it can be made into a wine. Roselle flowers are commonly found in commercial herbal teas, especially teas advertised as berry-flavoured, as they give a bright red colouring to the drink. Roselle tea is quite common in Italy where it spread during the first decades of the 20th century as a typical product of the Italian colonies. Roselle flowers are sold as wild hibiscus flowers in syrup in Australia as a gourmet product. Recipes include filling them with goats cheese; serving them on baguette slices baked with brie; and placing one plus a little syrup in a champagne flute before adding the champagne — the bubbles cause the flower to open. In Dodoma, Tanzania, roselle juice is brewed to make roselle wine famous by the name of
choya.
Preserves In Nigeria, roselle jam has been made since colonial times and is still sold regularly at community fetes and charity stalls. It is similar in flavour to plum jam, although more acidic. It differs from other jams in that the
pectin is obtained from boiling the interior buds of the roselle flowers. It is thus possible to make rosella jam with nothing but roselle buds and sugar. In Burma, the buds of the roselle are made into 'preserved fruits' or jams. Depending on the method and the preference, the seeds are removed or included. The jams, made from roselle buds and sugar, are red and tangy. In Jamaica, Roselle is also used to flavour cakes, ice-cream and other desserts, sauces, glazes and preserves. "Sorrel jelly" is manufactured in Trinidad. Rosella jam is made in
Queensland, Australia as a home-made or speciality product sold at fetes and other community events. In India, Roselle is commonly made into a type of
pickle. The plant is primarily cultivated for the production of
bast fibre used in cordage, made from its stem. The fibre may be used as a substitute for
jute in making
burlap.
Hibiscus, specifically roselle, has been used in folk medicine as a diuretic and mild
laxative. The red
calyces of the plant are increasingly exported to the United States and Europe, particularly Germany, where they are used as
food colourings. It can be found in markets (as flowers or
syrup) in places, such as France, where there are Senegalese immigrant communities. The green
leaves are used like a spicy version of
spinach. They give flavour to the Senegalese fish and rice dish
thieboudienne. Proper records are not kept, but the Senegalese government estimates national production and consumption at per year. In Myanmar their green leaves are the main ingredient in chin baung kyaw curry. Brazilians attribute stomachic, emollient, and resolutive properties to the bitter roots.
Medical Herbal medicine (high blood pressure) A 2021
meta-analysis conducted by the
Cochrane hypertension group concluded that currently the evidence is insufficient to establish if roselle, when compared to placebo, is effective in managing or lowering blood pressure in people with hypertension. An older meta-survey (2015) in the
Journal of Hypertension suggests a typical reduction in blood pressure of around 7.5/3.5 units (systolic/diastolic). Both cite the need for additional well designed studies. ==Production==