Carcade tea is made from the flowers of a tropical plant. This showy shrub belongs to the mallow family and it is called Hibiscus sabdariffa.

This plant is very close to the Shoe Black Plant, or the Rose of China. It produces large 4 inch diameter flowers that have deep red petals with a purple centre.

Carcade flowers are known for their strong smell, and the shrub has reddish hued leaves, branches and flower cup.

Why You Need to Drink Carcade Tea Regularly

Flower cups are used for brewing this deep red tea with a refreshing, slightly bitter taste. You can easily quench your thistle with this healing drink. Drinking carcade tea regularly helps avoiding the risk of vitamin deficiencies and related adverse effects. Vitamins and microelements contained in the tea vitalize our energy, improve tonicity and strengthen the immune system. It is a great drink for winter time when we lack vitamins and often suffer from cold or other virus infections.

Why Carcade Tea Has Sour Taste

Flower petals become juicy, fleshy and deep red in color as they wither. Carcade flowers are used not only for tea but also for jellies, sauces, compotes and even marinades. Carcade tea is a source of various organic acids such as apple, tartaric and lemon acids. That’s what gives this drink its nice slightly sour taste.

Health Benefits of Carcade Tea

Anthocyans – the matter that accounts for carcade red color – help strengthen the wall of blood vessels and regulate its penetration.

red color – help strengthen the wall of blood vessels and regulate its penetration. Many diseases are caused by fatty deposits in blood vessels that result in thick walls and poor blood flow. The major remedy against cholesterol deposits is gamma-linolenic acid because it can dissolve fat cells.

deposits is gamma-linolenic acid because it can dissolve fat cells. Carcade tea is a rich natural source of gamma-linolenic acid, so it helps prevent blood vessel problems as well as effectively reduce high cholesterol level.

tea is a rich natural source of gamma-linolenic acid, so it helps prevent blood vessel problems as well as effectively reduce high cholesterol level. Carcade tea has stress-releasing and relaxing effects due to vitamins and essential amino acids contained in the drink.

and essential amino acids contained in the drink. It helps restore male sexual potency and fight female frigidity.

and fight female frigidity. Carcade promotes brain metabolism .

. Carcade tea is a great remedy for chronic fatigue.

Drinking the Best Carcade Tea

Carcade tea may greatly differ in taste and useful properties. Choose only whole petals of the carcade flower because they would have all useful properties. Generally, tea powder and tea bags are of poor quality. You can drink carcade tea cold or hot. For both drinks, brewing procedure is very important. It is recommended to brew carcade tea for 5-10 minutes. The tea should have vinous color and slightly bitter taste. If carcade is brewed for too long, it may become a little too bitter and sour. But harsh taste is not the major problem. The thing is that long exposure to hot water destroys many useful substances in this tea. For example, hot temperatures essentially reduce the vitamin C content. By the way, carcade is twice as rich in vitamin C than oranges. It is better to brew carcade with warm water to save all vitamins and microelements. Of course, brewing will take more time, about an hour. Dietitians also state that cold carcade tea is healthier.