Hibiscus (Jamaica) FACTS

Posted at 6:38 pm by Mary Ann Lesh

Sep 13th

When I first came to Mexico, I learned to love agua de jamaica, a delicious beverage that was a little bit tart, usually sweetened and served cold. Many years later, I learned that agua de jamaica was made from dried hibiscus flowers. Recently, I have learned that this delicious drink has many health benefits, even medicinal uses, and that after they are boiled and strained, the flowers can be used as a meat substitute in tacos and other dishes!

A 100-gram serving of hibiscus tea provides the following nutrients:

Nutrient	Amount	Daily Value
Calories	37	N/A
Total Fat	0.65g	1.00%
Total Omega-3	18mg	N/A
Total Omega-6	18mg	N/A
Total Carbohydrates	7.41g	2.00%
Fiber	0.3g	1.00%
Protein	0.43g	1.00%
Vitamin A	296IU	6.00%
Vitamin C	18.4mg	31.00%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)	1.279mg	85.00%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	0.099mg	6.00%
Iron	8.64mg	48.00%
Copper	0.073mg	4.00%
Zinc	0.012mg	1.00%

Hibiscus tacos / Tacos de flor de jamaica (Recipe)

Source: Doctors Health Press

Author: Mary Ann Lesh

I have been a teacher, university administrator, and translator in Mexico, Texas, and Massachusetts. I have traveled in Central and South America, Europe, Asia, the United States and Mexico. I grew up in Wichita Falls, Texas, attended Midwestern University, then received a bachelor’s degree in English, education, and journalism from Baylor University. I have a master of education degree and doctoral studies in Spanish literature from Texas Tech, with additional studies in translation, French, Portuguese, website design, and art at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Boston University, and the University of Texas at Dallas. I am the mother of three and grandmother of seven. I have lived in Cancun, Mexico, since 2017.

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