In Egypt, they call it karkade. In Jamaica, they call it sorrel drink. In Mexico, they call it agua de Jamaica.
We call this scarlet hibiscus drink the perfect hot-weather beverage. Flavorwise, it resembles a tangy mix of tamarind, cranberry and mango. Colorwise, it resembles rubies. But unlike Kool-Aid, the color is natural, derived from boiling red hibiscus flowers in water and adding sugar and ice. A perfect exotic addition to your next garden party.
You can find the dried flowers for these drinks (and even a Mexican pre-sugared mix) at many Mexican, West Indian and Egyptian groceries, but finding the finished product is not quite so easy. Still, we managed to find for $1.50 a fine garnet-colored karkade at Taste of Egypt (3949 W. Lawrence Ave; 773-478-8400), where the proprietor often gives free tastes of other tasty drink creations while you wait. We tried a lovely, refreshing agua de Jamaica at Los Comales (1544 W. 18th St.; 312-666-2251) for 75 cents and learned that Linette’s Jamaican Kitchen (7366 N. Clark St.; 773-761-4823) often brews up their own sorrel drink and sells bottles of it for $3.
Here’s to beating the heat.
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What’s your favorite hibiscus drink?
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