Taste of Mexico: Jamaica

hace 1 día 2

Last week, we talked astir however tamarind reached Mexican shores, and I admit I tried to compression hibiscus — jamaica successful Spanish — into that story. It wouldn’t fit. It deserves its ain chapter. The hibiscus we steep successful jars and fold into salsas successful Mexico has a much analyzable passport than the Manila Galleon that yet brought it to our Pacific coast.

In the beginning

The roots of jamaica hint backmost to Sudan, wherever archaeologists accidental it was domesticated astir 6,000 years ago. It was 1 of the archetypal plants radical deliberately cultivated.

In Sudan, radical roasted hibiscus seeds the mode you’d roast different staples. Not glamorous, but practical. Those seeds turned retired to beryllium packed with macromolecule and a sensible root of sustenance. The plant’s showy angiosperm ensured it wouldn’t enactment hidden successful pantry shelves for long. Hibiscus was rapidly noticed arsenic an ornament, a medicine and a food, turning up successful the records of large civilizations crossed continents.

In Egypt, a agelong aesculapian papyrus mentions karkadeh (hibiscus) for coughs, colds and sore throats. Some construe the sanction arsenic “the Pharaoh’s drink,” and it inactive keeps a spot astatine weddings and ceremonies successful parts of Egypt today. That blend of mundane refreshment and ritual is simply a neat reminder of however a works tin beryllium home and ceremonial astatine once.

When hibiscus reached the Mediterranean, the Greeks and Romans enactment it to work. Because definite taxon are mucilaginous and softening, classical physicians utilized hibiscus and related mallows arsenic emollients and digestive aids, adjacent for wounds and respiratory complaints. The genus sanction hibiscus comes from the Greek hibiskos (marshmallow), which tells you however embedded those uses were successful antiquity. Those traditions fed into European herbal signifier for centuries.

Across Asia, hibiscus collected caller jobs and meanings. In China, it was a dye, a brightener and a hairsbreadth darkener. It besides became a awesome of prosperity and femininity. In India, Ayurvedic medicine embraced hibiscus for digestion, hairsbreadth health, urinary enactment and, importantly, balancing Pitta and Kapha doshas; the energies tied to metabolism, temperature, operation and immunity.

From hibiscus to jamaica

Its travel to Mexico followed the Manila Galleon’s route. The ships that crossed from Manila to Acapulco were floating markets of plants, radical and recipes. Hibiscus apt arrived bundled among that commercialized and recovered the Pacific seashore agreeable. If you similar romanticist images, representation the angiosperm landing successful Acapulco, liking the upwind and dilatory spreading done Guerrero, which contiguous is liable for conscionable implicit 70% of Mexico’s production. In 2019, Mexico produced 5,810 tons of hibiscus.

Why bash we telephone it jamaica? That’s a messy small mystery. I haven’t recovered a definitive root (stories tangle astir commercialized names and people etymologies), and I’m inactive digging.

What matters much than the sanction is however wholly hibiscus has been absorbed into Mexican food. Every fonda, edifice and taquería offers a solid of hibiscus agua alongside sodas. Beyond aguas frescas, jamaica turns up successful jams, jellies, liqueurs, sauces, marinades, tacos and dressings. It’s tart, floral and stubbornly versatile.

The wellness benefits of jamaica

Modern subject has proven that hibiscus is affluent successful antioxidants. Research suggests it tin assistance little humor pressure, amended cholesterin profiles, dilatory aging processes and trim hazard factors for chronic disease. It besides immunodeficiency digestion, acts arsenic a mild diuretic and helps the assemblage destruct toxins. In addition, preliminary studies bespeak imaginable benefits for managing benignant 2 diabetes.

Healthy jamaica gelatin with chia seeds

As a culmination of this anthropological culinary journey, we contiguous a look that combines contented with modern nutritional innovation. This dessert pairs hibiscus’s antioxidant illustration with gelatin (which supports collagen) and chia seeds (omega-3s, fiber, protein) to marque a functional dainty that benefits skin, joints, digestion and cardiovascular health.

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

1/2 cupful (50 grams) of dried hibiscus flowers
4 cups (1000 milliliters) of water
2 sachets (28 grams) of unflavored gelatin
1/2 cupful (125 milliliters) of acold h2o to hydrate gelatin
Stevia oregon earthy sweetener to sensation (equivalent to 3-4 tablespoons of sugar)
2 tablespoons (20 grams) of hydrated chia seeds
2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of caller citrus juice

Preparation:

Rinse the hibiscus flowers nether acold water.
Boil 3 cups of water, adhd the hibiscus, and simmer 5–8 minutes until the liquid is heavy red. Remove from vigor and steep 15 minutes.
Hydrate the gelatin successful 1/2 cupful of acold h2o for 10 minutes.
Strain the infusion, reserving the flowers for savory uses. Add the remaining cupful of acold h2o to chill the tea.
Briefly lukewarm the hydrated gelatin (10–15 seconds successful the microwave) until dissolved. Whisk into the lukewarm beverage to debar lumps.
Sweeten to taste, disturbance successful citrus foodstuff and fold successful the hydrated chia seeds.
Pour into molds oregon a azygous crockery and refrigerate 4–6 hours until set.

Pro tips connected storage

Keep refrigerated up to 5 days. Use the strained flowers for vegetarian tacos oregon fold successful caller berries earlier chilling.

Amigos, hibiscus successful Mexico is not conscionable an ingredient. It’s impervious of however trade, migration and culinary curiosity crook overseas plants into nationalist staples. From Sudanese fields to Filipino ships to Guerrero’s farms and our vicinity fondas, jamaica’s travel maps a small, delicious past of Mexican gastronomy.

María Meléndez is a Mexico City nutrient blogger and influencer.

Leer el artículo completo