What Plant Is Sorrel Made From?

hibiscus sabdariffa flower.
In the Caribbean, the popular terms are hibiscus or sorrel, as it is made from the hibiscus sabdariffa flower. The plant is native to India, but can grow as an annual in all climates. The fleshy, red calyxes that surround the base of the flowers are what we brew to make sorrel, the drink.

What plant does sorrel come from?

What Is Sorrel? Native to Europe and Asia, sorrel is a member of the Polygonaceae, or buckwheat, plant family, it has a dual identity as an herbaceous herb and a baby-leaf green for salads and cooking. The leaves have a lemony flavor that comes from the oxalic acid they produce.

Is sorrel and hibiscus the same thing?

West Indians call hibiscus sorrel or sorrel, Africans call the plant Roselle, and it’s known as hibiscus in other locales. It’s the exact same plant, Hibiscus sabdariffa, an edible species of hibiscus. Agua de Jamaica literally translates into the term Jamaica water.

Where does sorrel come from?

Sorrel grows in grassland habitats all over Europe and in parts of Central Asia, though its history goes back as far as 1700 with mentions of the sour herb in Jamaican literature. The plant grows in three varieties: French, red-veined, and broad leaf, all of which have relatively different appearances.

What is Jamaican sorrel made of?

hibiscus flower
This Jamaican sorrel drink is a traditional Caribbean beverage made with the sepals of the Roselle plant, a species of the hibiscus flower. This drink is served over ice and it’s traditionally served during the Christmas Holiday. It’s refreshing, easy to make, and full of flavor.

What’s another name for sorrel?

Sorrel (Rumex acetosa), also called common sorrel or garden sorrel, is a perennial herbaceous plant in the family Polygonaceae. Other names for sorrel include spinach dock and narrow-leaved dock (‘dock’ is a common name for the genus Rumex).

What is sorrel good for?

Sorrel is a great source of antioxidants, which are beneficial compounds that protect your cells from damage by neutralizing harmful free radicals. Antioxidants may help prevent many chronic conditions, including heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes ( 6 ).

Is sorrel good for high blood pressure?

Sorrel has antihypertensive properties that help to lower blood pressure. A research done at a university in Boston found that persons who drink a cup of sorrel daily saw a significant reduction in their blood pressure level in 30 days.

Is drinking sorrel good for you?

It’s full of minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. It also has key B-vitamins like niacin and folic acid, and can lower blood pressure. Sorrel is a known anti-inflammatory: The ascorbic acid and other compounds in sorrel make it a potent anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drink.

Is sorrel good for kidneys?

In larger doses, sorrel can cause damage to the kidneys, liver, and digestive organs. Sorrel is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken in large amounts, since it might increase the risk of developing kidney stones.

Is sorrel toxic?

The Sorrel plant may be known by its other common names, including garden sorrel, narrow-leaved dock, spinach-dock, and common sorrel. The sorrel plant is toxic to felines, humans, dogs, and ruminants, such as sheep or cattle.

Who brought sorrel to Jamaica?

The agency indicates that sorrel was introduced from West Africa to Jamaica by the British in the 17th century. The plant belongs to the hibiscus family and is grown by farmers across the island.

What is the African name for sorrel?

The sorrel drink is still very popular in West African countries especially Ghana where it is called “sobolo” and in Nigerian where it is called “zobo”.

What is another name for sorrel in Jamaica?

Jamaican sorrel is in fact what many of us know as hibiscus blossoms, which can be found dried online and at Latin American or natural food stores, where they are sometimes also called flor de jamaica.

What does sorrel taste like?

Sorrel is fruity like rhubarb. It is tart like lemon. It is herbal like basil. And it can be treated like all three.

What does sorrel drink taste like?

You can think of sorrel drink as a Christmassy lemonade. Steeped sorrel has a strong, tangy/acidic flavour that tastes strangely like lemon, but it plays well with warm fall spices. It might seem a bit strange to drink a cold beverage with warm spices, but it actually works really well!

Does sorrel make you poop?

Plants (like sorrel) are high in dietary fiber. Fiber keeps your digestive tract on track and your poops regular. It can also help to lower your risk of chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and some gastrointestinal problems.

Does sorrel lower blood sugar?

Flavonoids in Sorrel:
It helps to lower blood sugar. It helps decrease the cholesterol of ‘poor cholesterol’ or low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and boost ‘healthy cholesterol’ or high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

Can you eat sorrel raw?

You can also use raw sorrel leaves like you would an herb: chopped up and added to legumes or eggs, or as an addition to yogurt or sour cream as a refreshing, lemony dip. Cooking reduces sorrel’s oxalic acid content, and it also makes the leaves soft and rich and delicious, like really good spinach.

Is sorrel good for hair growth?

STIMULATES HAIR REGROWTH – Hair care lotion drops for hair loss treatment by Sorrel Cosmetics contain ginger which is well known for its benefits for hair growth as it can increase the scalp circulation, resulting in the flow of blood to the scalp. Thus, it may stimulate the hair follicles and encourage growth.

What is a sorrel in English?

sorrel in American English
(ˈsɔrəl ; ˈsɑrəl ) noun. any of various short, coarse weeds (genus Rumex) of the buckwheat family, with sour, edible leaves. see also dock4. wood sorrel.