Probably not a single person left on the planet who would not hear about flavored ruby drink made from hibiscus and referred to as karkade tea. This tea is interesting not only by the unusual history of its appearance, but also by the manifestation of its amazing beneficial properties, and in some cases by contraindications.
The story of the appearance of the drink
The story of the appearance of the drink says that they first tried to brew the Sudanese rose in ancient India - the people of this country very quickly appreciated the high taste of hibiscus tea, its ability to quench their thirst on hot days, and quickly charge a person with energy and relieve fatigue. After such an excellent “discovery”, the karkade very quickly gained fame and spread like lightning in Egypt and Sudan, where it received another beautiful name - "Pharaoh's drink".
Discover the different types of hibiscus.
Nowadays, the Sudanese rose is grown in many southern countries, including Thailand, Sri Lanka, China, Algeria, Mexico and many others. The color and taste of the resulting drink depends on the specific location of its growth, in Thailand tea is made purple and sweet, in Egypt it is sour with a rich cherry tinge, and in Mexico it is salty and orange.
Did you know? In Malaysia, hibiscus flowers are considered a symbol of the country, and the five red petals of a Sudanese rose symbolize the five commandments of Islam.
What is useful
Interestingly, the controversial hibiscus tea can be both beneficial and harmful for women and men, but we will begin, perhaps, with its positive qualities:
- beneficial effect on the digestive system;
- has antibacterial properties;
- removes toxins from the body;
- cleans the liver and promotes better bile production;
- perfectly quenches thirst in the hot season;
- lowers the level of harmful cholesterol;
- removes hangover;
- prevents the growth of cancer cells;
- additionally used as anthelmintic;
- relieves insomnia and neurotic states;
- due to the vitamins and minerals contained in the composition, it significantly strengthens the immune system and relieves any kind of stress.
Learn more about the healing properties of hibiscus.
Important! On the repeatedly asked question of lowers or still increases blood pressure hibiscus tea, the answer was given by the doctors. According to their conclusion, those substances that dye tea in scarlet color, in a curative way affect the blood vessels, strengthening them. Fortunately for hypertensive patients, it helps to reduce blood pressure.
Contraindications and harm
Unfortunately, the drink, which in Arab countries is called “a cure for all diseases”, can cause harm to a person, therefore, people with the above problems tea is better not to use:
- gastritis, accompanied by high acidity;
- with severe hypotension;
- peptic ulcer disease;
- gallstone or urolithiasis;
- frequent allergic reactions.
Read why hibiscus is called the flower of death.
How to make tea
Hibiscus tea has a memorable taste, and its rich ruby color is good for the eye, but in order to achieve the right result in cooking, you need to know how to brew this drink correctly. There is nothing difficult in the process: in order to prepare yourself a portion of red tea, you should take one teaspoon of hibiscus petals and pour them with a glass of boiling water, insisting 5-10 minutes after that; You can also add sugar to taste. It is possible to consume the prepared drink both hot and chilled, adding ice to the cup. It is important to remember that for the cooking process you need to follow some unchanged rules:
- Raw materials for making tea should be only large leaf, must be dried and in no case be ground into powder;
- For brewing, you should use only ceramic dishes, as metal utensils can spoil the taste and color of the drink.
How else is used in cooking
Advanced petals used in cooking. They are often added to vegetable salads, as well as meat and fish dishes. In addition, from the flowers it is possible to cook a useful jam.
Important! It should be remembered that tea from Sudanese rose can be consumed in an amount of not more than three cups per day, since this drink thins blood well and, as a result, increases the load on the heart.
Application in nutrition
In addition to other positive qualities, karkade tea has another significant advantage for the fair sex - the fact is that it is often used in dietology as very effective remedy for weight loss. Specialists who have made such an important discovery, advise lush women to drink the drink for two or three weeks in fairly large quantities. The method, of course, suggests some efficiency, but at the same time it is somewhat dangerous to health, because drinking several cups of brewed hibiscus petals a day can cause a serious "overload" of the body and lead to disruption of the kidneys and the digestive tract.
Mallow (stock-rose), lavatera, tamariks, violet, as well as hibiscus, belong to the Malvine family and are distributed both in the northern and in the southern hemisphere.
Application in cosmetology
Combining the beauty and usefulness of the petals of Sudanese roztykzhe also widely used in the cosmetic industry - they are added to the composition of a variety of regenerating and rejuvenating creams, shampoos, bath foams and even expensive perfumes. 
To prepare a good and useful hibiscus product for use at home, you need to refer to several interesting recipes:
Recipe 1. Getting Rid of Acne
1 spoon of petals is poured with a glass of boiling water, then the resulting liquid settles for about 1 hour. After this time, the tincture should be drained and poured into a container for ice (in cubes). Capacity is permanently stored in the freezer. The resulting frozen cubes need to wipe the face every day, a positive noticeable effect will be visible in two days.
Recipe 2. Getting rid of swelling under the eyes.
For this you need to brew a very strong decoction of the petals. The material itself is then not thrown away, but embedded in gauze and applied to the eyelids for 20 minutes. Broth can be used simply as a drink.
In addition to hibiscus, cosmetology also uses the following plants: amaranth, cornel, enotera, marigold, nasturtium, periwinkle, radish, bird cherry, linden, peony, walnut, silver goof, parsnip, and garden savory.
Welding conditions
To get the expected pleasure and a positive result from the cooked tea necessary storage conditions should be observed. For example, at room temperature, tea retains its beneficial properties only for a day, and when it is stored in a refrigerator for three days. As for the tea petals, for their further preservation, they must be placed in a separate clean can for loose products, in this form the hibiscus will not lose its beneficial properties for three years.
Did you know? The ruby drink was very popular in ancient Egypt, especially among the nobility. This is indicated by archaeologists discovered the petals of Sudanese roses in the tombs of rich Egyptians, along with other attributes for burials.Today, in order to preserve your youth and health as long as possible, it is not at all necessary to turn to some radical plastic and cosmetic means; you only need to nourish your body with useful drinks and products, including tonic karkade tea.
