Hibiscus (sorrel)

When to start

Hibiscus flower can be offered inside a dish or sauce once your baby has started solids, typically near 6 months. Do not give babies under 12 months hibiscus drinks. A drink can crowd out breast milk or formula and cost your baby nutrition.

Some hibiscus kinds grown as garden decoration are edible. The crimson roselle (karkade) is prized for the sepals that wrap the flower bud. It likes plenty of rain and sun. It is native to Africa and South Asia. After harvest the sepals are split from the seed and are often dried. They can also be eaten fresh or cooked. It goes by many names around the world, including karkade, flor de Jamaica, gongura, zobo, and bissap.

Why it matters

Fiber from the sepal supports digestion and the microbiome. It has calcium for strong bones. Iron and vitamin C work together against anemia and help tissue grow. It also has antioxidants and anthocyanins.

People traditionally say it acts as a mild laxative. Begin with a small portion.

Put dried flower in hot water and let it soften. Then chop it very fine. Stir it into vegetable purée or other dishes. It gives bright color and a tart taste to sauces such as chutney, salsa, or molé. It also works in soups, stews, and curries. If you stew apple or pear with hibiscus, the fruit turns pink and its natural sweetness is balanced. Your baby eats the fruit. You can sweeten the poaching liquid and make tea for yourself.

Keep candied flowers and sweetened hibiscus drinks for older children. Keep the dried flower dry and dark and cool, for up to 2 years, away from strong-smelling items like coffee or spices.

A whole hibiscus flower is hard to chew, so it is a choking risk. Chop the seedless flower, the way it is usually sold, very fine. Or steep it to flavor other foods.

Sit with your baby while they eat and stay within reach. Set up a safe eating space.

Hibiscus allergy is rare. Anyone allergic to hollyhock blooms, or sensitive to tannin-rich foods, may be more prone to a reaction. People with oral allergy syndrome from ragweed allergy may also react to hibiscus. In that syndrome the mouth itches, tingles, or burns for a short time. A dangerous reaction is not expected. Sensitive people have developed a skin rash after touching fresh hibiscus. Take care if you pick the flowers yourself.

Hibiscus often shares fields with peanut through a practice called intercropping. During harvest there is a small chance that peanut ends up in the product. That is why you may see a warning label on packages of dried hibiscus.

Offer a small amount for the first few servings. If there is no reaction, raise the amount slowly over later meals.