Prepare Hibiscus Tea at Home

Everyone has heard of Hibiscus Tea, whether or not they are a tea drinker. It is the latest addition to every health freak's diet. From weight loss to blood pressure control, this super food claims to do it all.
Made with the beautiful hibiscus flower petals, hibiscus tea is a herbal infusion, wonderful to drink during a hot summer afternoon. It can be prepared either hot or iced, a delightfully red colored drink to fulfill your soul.
It is quite a strong tea and not many leaves are required to prepare it. Only about 3-4 teaspoons of dry or 6-7 teaspoons of fresh hibiscus petals are needed to make a liter of tea.
To make the tea, boil around 200 ml of water and add half a teaspoon of dried petals or one teaspoon of fresh petals. Let the tea brew for around five minutes before serving. Add sugar or honey to your taste and enjoy immediately. If you want to drink an iced hibiscus tea, simply steep the tea with double the quantity of petals as when making hot tea. Add honey or sugar to the brew. Top a tall glass with ice and pour over the brew into the glass.
When preparing for a large group, steep the petals in a teapot. As it is herbal, you can just leave the leaves in the pot. It will not grow bitter, just slightly stronger in strength.
When you prepare hibiscus tea using the fresh petals of the hibiscus flower, be sure that the flowers are pesticide free and are also not sprayed with any sort of insecticide. It is best to use home grown flowers for such a brew, as you can be sure what has gone into its growing.
Hibiscus tea is made from less oxidized leaves and is one of the less processed types of tea and therefore contains one of the most antioxidants and beneficial polyphenols.
It's a very smooth tea that is more thirst-quenching than some other fruity teas. Some people say it is tart, like cranberry tea, but it has a softness about it that is more fruity than tart.
Hibiscus tea, like most tea, is good for you. It is said to be good to lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and to strengthen the immune system.
The hibiscus plant is indigenous to North America and grows almost everywhere from Southern Canada right down to Mexico. The flowers are gorgeous, similar to mallow flowers. They can grow to be very big and beautiful.