Roselle Cordial

Remember those deep-red 'ribena' buds in one of the photos in my post on the Donggongon market? They are actually a specie of hibiscus, just like the okra or ladies' fingers (the veg, not the sponge fingers), that are found in almost all tropical countries from Jamaica to India to The Philippines. Those bud-like things are the calyx left after the petals have fallen off, and they can be made into wine, thrown into salads and even fried.


Roselle Cordial

I boiled the roselle calyxes in water with some sugar, cooled it and left it in the fridge. It's been there nearly a week. I tell the boys it's rich in vitamin B and iron but there are no takers so far. The drink looked pretty, like a good red wine, but it was sour and there was no particularly distinctive flavor, except for what I imagine dried leaves would taste and smell like if you boil them. So don't try this at home.