Refreshing Rosa De Jamaica
By Melissa Pitts
Rosa de Jamaica, or Agua de Jamaica as it’s known in some parts, is like the sweet tea of Latin America. It can be prepared hot of course, but I’ve always had it cold. You can add sugar to taste, as it is quite bitter and some people add a stick of cinnamon while the leaves are boiling. A word of warning though: it stains! So be careful when preparing and use a nonreactive spoon to mix.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups jamaica flowers, (dried hibiscus flowers)
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 cup sugar
Directions:
- Bring water to a boil then add the flowers and stir continuously while the mixture boils for about one minute. Pour into a noncorrosive bowl (since the it will stain) and steep for 2 hours.
- Strain the mixture through a sieve pressing on the flowers to extract as much liquid as possible. Add sugar and taste for strength and sweetness. If it is too strong, add water or if too tart add more sugar.
- Refrigerate until time to serve.
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