It’s all about the beautiful hibiscus today. Here in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, hibiscus plants abound. If you are a tropical flower admirer, you will be delighted walking around this lovely little town. Because I have been able to photograph so many of these amazing flowers, I have decided to dedicate an entire post to the best hibiscus photo’s, tea & aqua fresca de Jamaica.
Not only are there an abundance of hibiscus here, but there is a wide range of species. You can see colours from ivory to sunshine yellow to the deepest blood red. Even the spectacular hibiscus schizopetalus can be found here. There is something so quintessentially tropical about the hibiscus blossom, it is truly an exquisite flower. Below are my best hibiscus flower photo’s from my walk-a-bouts in Puerto Morelos.
I will mention at this point, that none of my photo’s are edited. I am a purist when it comes to photography. I do not use filters, I do not enhance colours, I do not add nor subtract from the image. What you see in the photograph is exactly as was witnessed.
As you can see, in my short time on location, I have been surrounded by beauty at every turn.
Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea has been used over the ages as it is high in antioxidants and offers a wide variety of health benefits. Benefits may include reduced blood pressure and cholesterol, weight loss, fights against inflammation and bacteria, the list goes on. It can be consumed either hot or cold and is quite tart depending on how long it is steeped for. The flavour is similar to cranberries with a beautiful vibrant red colour. In Canada the tea can be found in most grocery stores as pre-packaged tea bags. In Mexico however, the dried hibiscus flowers are sold in bulk as it is consumed as a very common beverage, aqua fresca de Jamaica.
Aqua Fresca de Jamaica
Just about any local restaurant will have aqua fresca de Jamaica on hand should you like to partake of this refreshing drink. It is very common here in Mexico, and is often sweetened much like we would sweeten iced tea in Canada. The dried hibiscus flowers are sold in large bulk bins in the grocery stores and at the produce tiendas and fruiterias. You simply fill a bag and purchase it like you would any produce. The brighter red the dried flowers are, the fresher they are. As they age they can turn almost black. When ever I am travelling in Mexico, I always have a pitcher of freshly steeped aqua fresca de Jamaica in the fridge (recipe here). It is simply delicious!
Adios my flower lovers.
