Just Like Being In Bali Again

I had the most wonderful opportunity to go to Bali several years ago to celebrate a friend’s 40th birthday. It was a truly magical trip and I have so many wonderful memories.

I was recently planning a baby shower for my niece and we were doing an Afternoon Tea theme. I was menu planning and wanted to have a decaffeinated iced tea option as well as regular iced tea and I remembered the Hibiscus tea that I had in Bali. It was so light, refreshing and delicious.

Hibiscus tea, in addition to being really tasty, has some great healing properties as well. It can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, has anti cancer and anti inflammatory properties, can help with digestion, and promote liver health. It can be enjoyed hot or cold.

I did a bit of a cheat and just bought Hibiscus tea bags at Whole Foods to make a test batch. It was delicious, just like I remembered it to be. We ended up not serving it at the baby shower because it is contraindicated during pregnancy because it can affect blood pressure.

In a cooking class in Bali, we made it from fresh Hibiscus flowers and it was heavenly. I’ve been researching more recipes and while my quickie Whole Foods teabag version was great, my next step will be to purchase dried Hibiscus flowers and brew it that way. That version seems to get the best reviews. I’ll keep you posted.

Cheers!