Каркаде

The plant

Roselle is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, likely native to parts of Africa. The accepted name of the species is Sabdariffa gossypiifolia, and Hibiscus sabdariffa is among its synonyms. Roselle is an annual or perennial herb or woody-based subshrub, growing to 2-2.5 m (7-8 ft) tall. The flowers are white to pale yellow with a dark red spot at the base of each petal. The calyx becomes fleshy and a deep crimson red as the fruit matures, which takes about six months. The calyces are not petals: they form around the seed-pods once the seeds begin to form.

Chemistry

The flowers are rich in anthocyanins, as well as protocatechuic acid. The plant contains organic acids, polysaccharides, flavonoids and particularly anthocyanins, which provide the purple-red color. The dried calyces contain the flavonoids gossypetin, hibiscetine and sabdaretine. The calyces contain about 4% citric acid. Roselle seeds contain 17-20% oil.

Drinks and uses

Hibiscus tea, served hot, or roselle juice, served cold, is an infusion made from the crimson or deep magenta-colored sepals or calyces of the roselle flower. In Italy, hibiscus tea, known as carcadè or karkadè, is usually consumed hot, often with the addition of sugar and lemon juice or orange slices. In other European countries it is an ingredient in mixed herbal teas, especially with malva flowers or rose hips, to enhance the colouring. The drink made out of the flowers is known as bissap in Burkina Faso and Senegal, zobo in Nigeria or sobolo in Ghana. In Sudan and Egypt, karkade is a popular drink made with dried roselle calyces. Agua de Jamaica is consumed in Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America and the Caribbean. The fleshy calyces of cultivar group Sabdariffa are used in making beverages such as roselle syrup and roselle wine, and jams and jellies. The calyces can also be dried and stored for later use. Young shoots and leaves are used raw or cooked as a vegetable or condiment; they have a sour taste and are slightly mucilaginous. The plant is cultivated for its bast fibre, which is used to make cordage and as a substitute for jute in making burlap. Roselle can be a natural source of water-soluble red food dye.

Cultivation

The plant is a deep-rooted annual, requiring fertile sandy soil, warmth and plenty of water. The calyces must be picked about 15-20 days after flowering. The workers strip the calyces by hand and lay them out to dry in the sun for three to four days. The main Egyptian plantations are in the dry, hot regions of Upper Egypt around Qena and Aswan and in the oasis of Fayoum. Most of Sudan's crop is grown in the central province of Kordofan.

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