For its great benefits like lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and contributing to a healthy immune system due to its high Vitamin C content, Hibiscus Tea, often known as the Superflower tea, is very popular across the planet. In fact, the hibiscus flower is edible and can be eaten cooked, raw, pickled, as a spice, or even as a food dye. However, despite the nice floral fragrance, hibiscus tea has a somewhat sour taste which, I believe, some people do enjoy. As for me, my sweet tooth tempts me to add sweeteners like maple syrup which is still sugar and not ideal. I could use stevia but I am absolutely not a fan of the latter for its aspartame-like aftertaste. Instead, from my previous concoctions of adding herbal infusions to my smoothies, like in this Apricot Elderflower Refresher Smoothie or this Warm Spiced Tea Strawberry-Banana Smoothie, I've decided to turn this floral wonder into a Superflower berry-licious beverage. You can sieve out all the flowers but I decided to add half of the soaked flowers to the smoothie. This is what gave it this intense rich red colour you see in the picture!
Hibiscus Tea should be available in health stores but I get mine online from Shanti Tea. They have a really nice selection of teas and reasonably priced; you should check them out.
Hibiscus Superflower Berry-licious Smoothie
1 tablespoon dried hibiscus tea flowers
1/2 cup boiling water for brewing
5 strawberies
8 - 10 raspberries
4 dates, pitted and chopped
1 banana
Brew the hibiscus tea in the boiling water for about 5 minutes. Allow tea to cool.
Once tea is cooled, add the brewed tea, 1/2 of the soaked flowers, and the rest of the ingredients to a blender and process till smooth. Add water to thin out if desired.
| Nutrition Facts | ||||||
Serving Size 1 serving (415.3 g) | ||||||
Amount Per Serving | ||||||
Calories 320 Calories from Fat 13 | ||||||
% Daily Value* | ||||||
Total Fat 1.4g 2% | ||||||
Saturated Fat 0.2g 1% | ||||||
Cholesterol 0mg 0% | ||||||
Sodium 4mg 0% | ||||||
Potassium 927mg 26% | ||||||
Total Carbohydrates 80.5g 27% | ||||||
Dietary Fiber 20.5g 82% | ||||||
Sugars 47.5g | ||||||
Protein 4.8g | ||||||
| ||||||
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet |
I happen to really like tart tea, but your smoothie version sounds delicious, too. I would probably stop at one date, because I have a super sensitive sweet detector, but I'm usually the odd one out when it comes to how much sweetener is needed. :)
ReplyDeleteI think you are probably right with one date. But the berries I used weren't that sweet though. Ahh, I am such a sweet tooth!
DeleteWow, this is so beautiful! Hibiscus is such a light and delicate flavor. I'll have to see if I can find some tea!
ReplyDeleteLovelie, that looks fabulous.
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