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Karkade

If you go to Egypt, one thing to bring back home is wine-red dried hibiscus petals.

Cooks' Note

The drink can also be served hot like tea.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4 or 5

Ingredients

1 cup hibiscus petals (karkade)
5 cups water
Sugar to taste

Preparation

  1. Put the petals in a pan with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool, then filter into a jug and chill, covered with plastic wrap. Serve chilled. The drink is quite tart. Let everyone add sugar to taste.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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