renewed interest in roselle (hibiscus sabdariffa …fshs.org/proceedings-o/1974-vol-87/415-425...

MORTON: THE ROSELLE 415

nurseries, and some do so. Others transfer to

4-year institutions to finish their studies, or they

switch to an allied field, e.g., Environmental

Studies, at Florida International University, a new

and growing part of the State University System

at Miami.

Discussion and Conclusion

Research in agriculture and allied fields has

supported United States pre-eminence in food

production and, correlatively, in world affairs for

many years. Hybrid corn, a product of genetics

research begun in the northeastern United States

early in this century, helped win World War II.

The rust-resistant and cold-hardy winter wheats,

products of plant introduction and agricultural re

search, have fed the hungry of this nation and our

friends in war and peace.

Continuing research in food and fiber produc

tion, particularly in tropical and subtropical parts

of the world, is vital to human health and perhaps

even to human survival. The existing human re

sources and technical facilities of Florida's south

eastern coast, combined with the natural subtrop

ical environment here, equip this Research Cres

cent to assume a major role in the United States'

tropical research program. Enough necessary work

waits in the Research Crescent to keep every qual

ified person busy for the forseeable future.

Literature Cited

1. Burditt, A. K., Jr., Soderholm, P. K., Spalding, D. H., and Knight, R. J., Jr. 1973. Seventy-five years of USDA research at Miami. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 86:303-308.

2. Campbell, C. W., and Malo, S. E. 1968. Three decades of tropical fruit improvement in Florida. Fla. A.E.S. Sun shine State Agr. Research Report 13(1): 39-40.

3. Rhodes, A. M., Campbell, C. W., Malo, S. E., and Carmer, S. G. 1970. A numerical taxonomic study of the mango Mangifera indica L. J. Amer. Soc, Hort. Scu 95(2):

252-256.

4. Smiley, N. 1960. The Fairchild tropical garden. Amer. Hort. Magazine 39(1): 1-13.

5. Teas, H. J., Leigh, W. H., et al. 1970. Tropical studies

at the University of Miami. U. of Miami, Coral Gables. 24 p.

6. Wait, L. H. 1948. Fairchild tropical garden—the first

ten years. Ronald Press, New York. 381 p.

RENEWED INTEREST IN ROSELLE (HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA L.)r

THE LONG-FORGOTTEN "FLORIDA CRANBERRY"

Julia F. Morton

Morton Collectanea, University of Miami

Coral Gables

Abstract. Roselle was once commonly growivin

central and southern Florida for its fleshy, red,

acid calyces, used for making cranberry-like

sauce, jelly and other preserves, desserts and

wine. The plant has been nearly extinct in this

state since the mid-1950's, its common name has

been applied to related but dissimilar species,

and seeds have been difficult to obtain. There was

a brief flurry of requests for seed and informa

tion during the coal-tar-dye alarms of 1959 and

1960. Today, there is a stronger resurgence of

interest on the part of food and beverage manu

facturers who anticipate further F&DA restric

tions on synthetic red colorants. Also, rising food

costs and the trend toward "natural" foods and

revival of home-gardening, have created a new

demand for roselle and the seeds are again of

fered by dealers in rare plant materials.

Throughout the tropics, the dried calyces are

often seen in native markets and these can be

utilized as well as the fresh for cold drinks and

jelly. In temperate regions where the fruits do

not mature, the stems and leaves are utilized.

Roselle seeds are edible and yield oil, and the

residue, serves as feed for chickens and cattle.

~l$L..salydariffa var. altissima is grown for its fiber.

The genus Hibiscus, of the family Malvaceae,

embraces 200 or more speciesV'mainly tropical and

subtropical, ranging in form from herbs and sub-

shrubs to the large timber treej Hi elatus Sw.—the

-blue mahoe of Cuba and Jamaica. Most important

as a food plant is okra, H. esculentus L. The most

widely admired member of the genus is the Chinese

hibiscus, H. rosa-sinensis L., a woody shrub or

small tree of which numerous cultivars and hybrids

are among the most popular flowering plants of the

warm climates of the world.

A minor ornamental in Florida and elsewhere

is the red-leaf hibiscus, H. eetveldeanus Wildem.

& Th. Dur. (syn. H. acetosella Welw.) of tropical

Africa which has red stems to 8 ft. high, 5-lobed,

red or bronze leaves, and mauve, or red-striped

416 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1974

yellow, flowers with a dark-red eye, succeeded by a

hairy seed pod enclosed in a red, ribbed calyx bear

ing a basal fringe of slender, forked bracts. This

plant has been often confused with roselle, though

its calyx is not fleshy and only the young leaves

are used for culinary purposes—usually cooked

with rice or vegetables because of their acid flavor.

True roselle is H. sabdariffa L., of which there

are two main types. The more important econom

ically is H. sabdariffa var. altissima Wester, an

erect, sparsely-branched annual to 16 ft. high,

which is cultivated for its jute-like fiber in India,

the East Indies, Nigeria and to some extent in

Tropical America. The stems of this variety are

green or red and the leaves are green, sometimes

with red veins. Its flowers are yellow and calyces

red or green, non-fleshy, fibrous, spiny and not used

for food. This type at times has been confused

with kenaf, H. cannabinus L., a somewhat similar

but more widely exploited fiber source.

Figr. 1. Red-leaf hibiscus (Hibiscus eetveldeanus), often mistaken for roselle. Photo by Julia Morton


The other distinct type of roselle, H. sabdariffa

var. sabdariffa, embraces shorter, bushy forms

which have been described as races: bhagalpurien-

sis, intermedius, albus, and ruber, all breeding

true from seed (4). The first has green, red-

streaked, inedible calyces; the second and third

have yellow-green edible calyces and also yield

fiber (15). The subject of this paper is primarily

the race ruber and its named cultivars with edible

calyces; secondarily the green-fruited strains which

have similar uses and which may belong to race

albus.

Vernacular names in addition to roselle in

English-speaking regions are rozelle, sorrel, red

sorrel, Jamaica sorrel, Indian sorrel, Guinea sorrel,

sour-sour, Queensland Jelly plant (65), jelly okra,

lemon bush (18), or Florida cranberry; in French,

oseille rouge, or oseille de Guinee (42); in Spanish,

quimbombo chino, sereni (48), rosa de Jamaica,

flor de Jamaica, Jamaica, agria (33, 35), agrio

de Guinea (54), quetmia acida (29), vina and

vinuela; in Portuguese, vinagreira, azeda de Guine,

cururu azedo, and quiabeiro azedo (27); and in

Dutch (Surinam), zuring (41). In North Africa

and the Near East, roselle is called karkade (6) or

carcade (21) and it is known by these names in

the pharmaceutical and food flavoring trades in

Europe (21). In Senegal, the common name is

bisap.

Description

H. sabdariffa var. sabdariffa race ruber is an

annual, erect, bushy, herbaceous subshrub to 8 ft.

tall (31) with smooth or nearly smooth, cylindrical,

typically red stems. The leaves are alternate, 3 to

5 in. long, green with reddish veins and long or

short petioles. Leaves of young seedlings (62) and

upper leaves of older plants are simple; lower

leaves are deeply 3- to 5- or even 7-lobed; the

margins are toothed. Flowers, borne singly in the

leaf axils, are up to 5 in. wide, yellow or buff with

a rose (1) or maroon eye, and turn pink as they

wither at the end of the day (15, 57, 62). At this

time, the typically red calyx, consisting of 5 large

sepals with a collar (epicalyx) of 8 to 12 slim,

pointed bracts (or bracteoles) around the base,

begins to enlarge, becomes fleshy, crisp but juicy,

l*/i to 2*4 in. long, and fully encloses the velvety

capsule, V2 to % in. long (47) which is green when

immature, 5-valved, with each valve containing 3

to 4 kidney-shaped, light-brown seeds, 1/8 to 3/16

in. long and minutely downy (47). The capsule

turns brown and splits open when mature and dry.

The calyx, stems and leaves are acid and closely

resemble the cranberry in flavor (66).

Origin and Distribution

Roselle is native from India to Malaysia, where

it is commonly cultivated (4, 8, 10, 20), and must

have been carried at an early date to Africa (3).

It has been widely distributed in the tropics and

subtropics of both hemispheres and in many areas

of the West Indies and Central America has be

come naturalized (9, 23, 47, 54).

The Flemish botanist, M. de L'Obel, published

his observations of the plant in 1576, and the edi

bility of the leaves was recorded in Java in 1687

(15). Seeds are said to have been brought to the

New World by African slaves (57). Roselle was

grown in Brazil in the 17th century and in Ja

maica in 1707 (44). The plant was being cul

tivated for food use in Guatemala before 1840

(57). J. N. Rose, in 1899, saw large baskets of

dried calyces in the markets of Guadaljara, Mex

ico (50).

In 1892, there were two factories producing

roselle jam in Queensland, Australia, and exporting

considerable quantities to Europe (62). This was

a short-lived enterprise. In 1909, there were no

more than 4 acres of edible roselle in Queensland

(15). A Mr. Neustadt of San Francisco imported

seed from Australia about 1895 and shared it with

the California state agricultural experiment sta

tion for test plantings and subsequent seed distri

bution (62). It was probably about the same time

that Australian seeds reached Hawaii. In 1904, the

Hawaiian Agricultural Experiment Station re

ceived seeds from Puerto Rico (16). In 1913 there

was much interest in interplanting roselle with

Ceara rubber (Manihot glaziovii Muell. Arg.) on

the island of Maui (63) and there were some

plantations established also on the island of Ha

waii, altogether totaling over 200 acres. The

anticipated jelly industry failed to materialize

(16) and promotional efforts were abandoned by

1929 (43).

P. J. Wester believed that roselle was brought

to Florida from Jamaica about 1887 (62). Plants

were grown by Dr. H. J. Webber at the U. S. De

partment of Agriculture's Subtropical Laboratory

at Eustis, Florida, in the early 1890's but all the

roselle was killed there by a severe freeze in 1895

(62). Cook and Collins reported that roselle was

commonly cultivated in southern Florida in 1903

(14). In 1904, Wester acquired seeds from Mr.

W. A. Hobbs of Coconut Grove and planted them


at the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Sub

tropical Garden in Miami. He was enthusiastic

about roselle's potential as a southern substitute

for the cranberry and authored the 16-page Farm

er's Bulletin, Roselle: Its Culture and Uses, in

1907. At that time, he stated that the fresh calyces

were being sold by the quart in South Florida mar

kets (62). He introduced three edible cultivars

into the Philippines in 1905 (10) and, in his

lengthy, illustrated article in the Philippine Agri

cultural Review in 1920, he declared: "No plant

that has ever been brought into the Philippines is

more at home and few grow with so little care as

the roselle, or are so productive. Still, like so

many other new introductions, the roselle has been

slow to gain hold in the popular taste though here

and there it is now found in the provincial mar

kets'' (63).

In 1928, Paul C. Standley wrote: "roselle . . .

is grown in large quantities in Panama, especially

Fig. 2. True roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa var. sabdariffa race rubber), the red calyx of which was long know as the "Florida

cranberry". Photo by Julia Morton


by the West Indians. So much of the plant is seen

in the markets and on the roads that one would

think the market oversupplied" (55).

Roselle became and remained a common home

garden crop throughout southern and central Flor

ida until after World War II when this area began

to develop rapidly and home gardening and pre

serving declined. In 1954, roselle was still being

grown by individuals in the Midwest for its edible

herbage (65). By 1959 and 1960, when there was

widespread alarm concerning coal-tar food dyes, it

was easy to arouse interst in roselle as a coloring

source but difficult to obtain seeds in Florida. At

that time, I purchased them from Gleckler's Seeds

men in Metamora, Ohio—40 seeds for 25^; ^4 oz.

for $1.25. Roselle had by then become nearly ex

tinct in Puerto Rico also, for, in 1959, food tech

nologists from the University of Puerto Rico's

laboratory in Rio Piedras approached me for seeds

in the hope of using the red juice of the calyx to

color guava wine (53).

Mrs. Edith Trebell of Estero, Florida, was one

of the last remaining suppliers of roselle jelly. In

February, 1961, I purchased the last two jars made

from the small crop salvaged following the 1960

hurricane and before frost killed all her plants. In

late 1961, I was able to obtain a few seeds from

Mrs. Henry Hildebrandt of Sarasota, Florida, an

oldtime roselle enthusiast. But, in 1969, the seeds

I ordered from the sole roselle advertiser in the

Florida Market Bulletin (Mrs. Opal Lilly, Flora-

home, Putnam County) produced plants with

spectacular, deep-purple flowers, 5 in. wide, and

spiny, non-fleshy calyces. Dr. Sam McFadden sug

gests the so-called "roselle" may have been H.

radiatus Cav. My disappointment was intensified

by finding a product labeled "Imitation Roselle

Jelly" on sale in a Stuckey's restaurant on Planta

tion Key.

In December, 1971, Horticulturist Edilberto

Camacho sent me some seeds from Costa Rica—the

product of plants raised from seed he collected in

Cali, Colombia—and these I shared with Laymond

Hardy who was also searching far and wide for

roselle seeds to plant in California. In 1973, I in

serted a "roselle wanted" ad in the Florida Market

Bulletin. There was one response, from Lake

Worth, but no seeds acquired. My order was re

turned marked "addressee unknown".

Last spring, it was a great pleasure to see

roselle featured in the catalog of John Brudy's

Rare Plant House, Cocoa Beach, and to find seeds

once again offered in the Market Bulletin. And I

am happy to know that Reasoner's Tropical Nurs

eries in Bradenton currently sells plants in con

tainers and gives to purchasers a sheet of recipes.

From Lawrence Adams of Arcadia, I obtained

seeds (25 for $1) which came from the Virgin

Islands where this particular strain is said to

mature its fruit a month early. These seeds and

seeds purchased by John G. DuPuis, Jr., from

Brudy were planted at DuPuis' Bar D Ranch in

Martin County. At this writing (Nov. 4), the

plants from Brudy seeds, planted in April, are

8 ft. high and beginning to bloom and set fruit.

The Adams seeds, planted in early July, have

yielded plants now only 2^ ft. high but neverthe

less blooming and fruiting.

At last, roselle is again being appreciated in

Florida as a home-garden crop and is attracting

the attention of food and beverage manufacturers

who feel it may have exploitable possibilities as a

natural food product and as a colorant to replace

some synthetic dyes. Even so, we are somewhat

behind some other roselle-growing regions. In

1962, Sharaf referred to the cultivation of roselle

as "recent" in Egypt, where interest is centered

more on its pharmaceutical than its food potential

(51). In 1971, it was reported that roselle calyces,

produced and dried in Senegal (particularly around

Bambey), were being shipped to Europe (Ger

many, Switzerland, France and Italy) at the rate

of 10 to 25 tons annually (6).

Cultivars

In 1920, Wester described three named, edible

roselle cultivars as being grown at that time in the

Philippines:

'Rico' (named in 1912): Plant relatively low-

growing, spreading, with simple leaves borne over

a longer period and the lobed leaves mostly 3-

parted. Flower has dark-red eye and golden-yellow

pollen. Mature calyx 1% to 2 in. long and 1-1/8 to

l1^ in. wide; bracts plump and stiffly horizontal.

Highest yielder of calyces per plant. Juice and

preserves of calyx and herbage rich-red.

'Victor': A superior selection from seedlings

grown at the Subtropical Garden in Miami in

1906. Plant taller (to 7 ft.), more erect and ro

bust. Flower has dark-red eye and golden-brown

pollen (63). It blooms somewhat earlier than

'Rico' (10). Calyces as long as those of Rico but

slenderer and more pointed at apex; bracts longer,

slenderer and curved upward. Juice and preserves

of calyx and herbage rich-red.

'Archer' (sometimes called "white sorrel"

(36)) resulted from seed sent to Wester by A. S.


Archer of the island of Antigua. It is believed to

be of the race albus (15). Edward Long referred

to "white" as well as red roselle as being grown

in most gardens of Jamaica in 1774 (58). Plant

is as tall and robust as Victor but has green stems.

Flower is yellow with deeper yellow eye and pale-

brown pollen. Calyx is green or greenish-white and

smaller than in the two preceding, but the yield

per plant is much greater. Juice and other products

are nearly colorless to amber. Green-fruited roselle

is grown throughout Senegal, but especially in the

Cape Vert region, mainly for use as a vegetable

(6).

Another roselle selection which originated in

1914 (15) at the Lamao experiment station and

was named 'Temprano' because of its early flow

ering, Wester reported as no longer grown, the

plant being less robust and less productive than

the others. (63).

A strain with dark-red, plump but stubby

Fig. 3. Sauce and jelly made from roselle calyces with seed capsules removed look and taste like products made of cran berries. Photo by Julia Morton

MORTON: THE ROSELLE 421-

calyces (the sepals scarcely longer than the seed

capsule) is grown in the Bahamas (32).

Requirements, Propagation and Culture

Roselle is very sensitive to frost (49). It suc

ceeds best in tropical and subtropical regions from

sea level up to 3,000 ft. with a rainfall of about

72 in. during its growing season. Where rainfall

is inadequate, irrigation has given good results

(63). It can be grown as a summer crop in tem

perate regions but the fruits will not ripen (65).

While deep, fairly fertile sandy loam (49) is pre

ferable, roselle grew and produced well over many

years in the oolitic limestone of Dade County.

Wester observed that the high pine lands were far

more suitable than low-lying muck and prairie

(62). The plants tended to reseed themselves and

on some properties they spread so extensively they

became a nuisance and were eradicated (53).

Roselle is usually propagated by seed but grows

readily from cuttings (49). The latter method re

sults in shorter plants preferred in India for inter-

planting with tree crops but the yield of calyces is

relatively low (4).

Seedlings may be raised in nursery beds and

transplanted when 3 to 4 in. high, but seeds are

usually set directly in the field, 4 to 6 to a hill,

the hills 3 to 6 ft. apart in rows 5 to 10 ft. apart.

When 2 or 3 leaves have developed, the seedlings

are thinned out by 50%. If grown mainly for

herbage, the plants may be only 2 ft. apart and

the seed can be sown as early as March and no

thinning is done in the early stage (63).

Roselle is a short-day plant and photoperiodic.

Unlike kenaf, roselle crops cannot be grown suc

cessively throughout the year (13, 39).

If intended solely for the production of calyces,

the ideal planting time in southern Florida is mid-

May (62). Blooming will occur in September and

October and calyces will be ready to harvest in

November and December. Harvesting causes latent

buds to develop and extends the flowering life of

the plant to late February. When the fruit is not

gathered but left to mature, the plants will die in

January (62).

Rolfs recommended whatever fertilizer would

be ordinarily used for vegetables but warned that

only % to V2 the usual amount should be applied.

He wryly remarked "As a whole, the plants are

rather more vigorous than need be; consequently

no attention need be paid in the direction of vigor."

(49) An excess of ammonia encourages vegetative

growth and reduces fruit production (62). Com

mercial fertilizer of the formula 4-6-7 has proved

satisfactory (15).

Weeding is necessary at first, but after the

plants reach W2 to 2 ft. in height, weeds will be

shaded out and no longer a problem (49). Early

pruning will increase branching and development

of more flowering shoots (7). The flowers are self-

pollinated (44).

Pests and Diseases

Roselle's major enemy is the root-knot nema-

tode, Heterodera radicicola (62). Mealy bugs may

be very troublesome. In Australia, three beetles,

Nisotra breweri Jarv., Lagris cyanea Macl. and

Rhyparida discopunctulata Lea, attack the leaves

(63). The "white" roselle has been found heavily

infested with the cocoa beetle, Steirastoma breve

Sulzer, in Trinidad, with a lighter infestation of

the red roselle in an intermixed planting (26).

Occasional minor pests are scales, Coccus hesper-

idum and Hemichionaspis aspidistrae, on stems

and branches; yellow aphid, Aphis gossypii, on

leaves and flower buds; and the cotton stainer,

Dysdercus suturellus, on ripening calyces (62).

In Florida, mildew (Oidium) may require con

trol. Late in the season, leaves on some Philippine

plants have appeared soft and shriveled; and

Phoma sabdariffae Sacc. has also done minimal

damage (63).

Harvesting

For herbage purposes, the plants may be cut

off six weeks after transplanting, leaving only 3

to 4 in. of stem in the field. A second cutting is

made 4 weeks later and a third after another 4

weeks. Then the shorn plants are thinned out—

two of every three rows removed—and the remain

ing plants left to grow and develop fruit as a sec

ond product.

Calyces are harvested when full grown but still

tender and, at this stage, are easily snapped off by

hand. They are easier to break off in the morning

than at the end of the day (49). If harvesting is

overdue and the stems have toughened, clippers

must be used.

The fruits of roselle ripen progressively from

the lowest to the highest. Harvesting of seeds takes

place when the lower and middle tiers of the last

of the fruits are allowed to mature, at which time

the plants are cut down, stacked for a few days,

then threshed between canvas sheets (15).


Yield

Calyx production per plant has ranged from 3

lbs. in California to 4 lbs. in Puerto Rico and 16

lbs. in South Florida (49). In Hawaii, roselle

intercropped with rubber yielded 16,800 kg. per

hectare, 19,000 kg. when planted alone (63). Dual-

purpose plantings can yield 17,000 kg. of herbage

in 3 cuttings and, later, 6,300 kg. of calyces (63).

Food Value

Nutritionists have found roselle calyces as sold

in Central American markets to be high in calcium,

niacin, riboflavin and iron (33, 34). Samples ana

lyzed in Guatemala yielded, per 100 g.:

moisture, 9.2 g.; ether extract, 2.61 g.; crude

fiber, 12.0 g.; nitrogen, 1.146 g.; ash, 6.90 mg. ;

calcium, 1,263 mg.; phosphorus, 273.2 mg.;

iron, 8.98 mg.; carotene, .029 mg.; thiamine,

.117 mg.; riboflavin, .277 mg.; niacin, 3.765

mg.; ascorbic acid total, 6.7 mg. (34).

Citric acid, d-malic acid, tartaric acid and

hibiscic acid are also present (4, 25a).

Busson shows amino acid content as follows

(N = 16 p. 100): arginine, 3.6; cystine, 1.3;

histidine, 1.5; isoleucine, 3.0; leucine, 5.0; lysine

3.9; methionine, 1.0; phenylalanine, 3.2; threo-

nine, 3.0; tryptophane, —; tyrosine, 2.2; valine,

3.8; aspartic acid, 16.3; glutamic acid, 7.2;

alanine, 3.7 glycine, 3.8; proline, 5.6; serine,

3.5 (12).

Fresh leaves contain: 86.2% moisture (4); 1.7

to 3.2% protein (59); 1.1% fat; 10% carbohy

drate; 1% mineral matter; .18% calcium; .04%

phosphorus; .0054% iron; 1.25% malic acid. The

seeds contain: 12.9% moisture; 3.29% nitrogen;

16.8% fatty oil; 16.8% cellulose; 15.8% pento-

sans; 11.1% starch (4).

Other Constituents

The dried calyces contain the flavonoids gos-

sypetine, hibiscetine and sabdaretine (25a). The

major pigment, formerly reported as hibiscin, has

been identified as daphniphylline. Small amounts

of delphinidin 3-monoglucoside, cyanidin 3-mono-

glucoside (chrysanthemin), and delphinidin are

also present (52a). Toxicity is slight (25a).

Medicinal Value

In India, Africa and Mexico, all above-ground

parts of the roselle plant are valued in native

medicine. Infusions of the leaves or calyces are re

garded as diuretic, choleretic, febrifugal and hy-

potensive, decreasing the viscosity of the blood and

stimulating intestinal peristalsis (40). Pharmacog-

nosists in Senegal recommend roselle extract for

lowering blood pressure (25a). In 1962, Sharaf

confirmed the hypotensive activity of the calyces

and found them antispasmodic, anthelmintic and

antibacterial as well (51). In 1964, the aqueous

extract was found effective against Ascaris gal-

linarum in poultry. Three years later, Sharaf and

co-workers showed that both the aqueous extract

and the coloring matter of the calyces are lethal

to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (52). In experi

ments with domestic fowl, roselle extract decreased

the rate of absorption of alcohol and so lessened

its effect on the system (61). In Guatemala, roselle

"ade" is a "favorite remedy for the after effects

of drunkenness'' (57).

In East Africa, the infusion, calted "Sudan

tea", is taken to relieve coughs (17). Roselle juice,

with salt, pepper, asafetida and molasses, is taken

as a remedy for biliousness (45).

The heated leaves are applied to cracks in the

feet and a lotion prepared from them is used on

sores and wounds. The seeds are said to be di

uretic and tonic in action (17) and the brownish-

yellow (4) seed oil is claimed to heal sores on

camels (17). In India, a decoction of the seeds is

given to relieve dysuria, strangury and mild cases

of dyspepsia and debility (45). Brazilians attrib

ute stomachic, emollient and resolutive properties

to the bitter roots (27).

Handling and Preparation for Use

Rolfs, in 1929, reported that fresh roselle

calyces, as harvested, were successfully shipped by

rail to Washington for retail sale and he judged

that they could stand rail transport to any markets

east of the Mississippi (49). John Ripperton of

the Hawaiian Experiment Station maintained that,

for jelly- and wine-making, it is unnecessary to

take out the seed capsule (31), but neglecting to

do so may result in a "stringy" product (2) which

would be contaminated with the minute hairs from

the surface of the capsule and these hairs are

quite likely to be injurious (7).

Roselle calyces are best prepared for use by

washing, then making an incision around the

tough base of the calyx below the bracts to free

and remove it with the seed capsule attached. The

calyces are then ready for immediate use or may

be frozen (31) or dried in the sun (67, 68) or by

artificial means for out-of-season supply, market-


ing or export. In Mexico today, the dried calyces

are packed for sale in imprinted, plastic bags. For

retailing in Africa, dried roselle is pressed into

solid cakes or balls. In Senegal, the dried calyces

are squeezed into great balls weighing 80 kg. for

shipment to Europe (6). Eleven pounds of fresh

calyces dehydrate to one pound of dried roselle

which is equal to the fresh for most culinary pur

poses (4).

The herbage is apparently mostly utilized in

the fresh state though Wester proposed that it be

"evaporated and compressed" for export from the

Philippines (63).

Food, Feed and Beverage Uses

Fresh roselle calyces may be merely chopped

and added to fruit salads. In Africa, they are fre

quently cooked as a side-dish eaten with pulverized

peanuts (69). For stewing as sauce or filling for

tarts (22) or pies, they may be left intact, if

tender, and cooked with l1^ cups of sugar for

Fig. 4. Dried roselle calyces, as sold on Mexican markets, are mainly used to make a popular "ade", but are equal to the fresh for most purposes. Photo by Julia Morton


every 6 cups of calyces (pressed down firmly)

(31). The product will be almost indistinguishable

from cranberry sauce in taste and appearance

(49). For making a finer-textured sauce or juice,

sirup, jam, marmalade, relish, chutney or jelly,

the calyces may be first chopped in a wooden bowl

or passed through a meat grinder. Or the calyces,

after cooking, may be pressed through a sieve

(37). Mrs. T. S. Hilton in Nassau, Bahamas, rec

ommends steaming the roselle with a little water

till soft before adding the sugar, then boiling for

15 minutes (24).

Roselle sauce or sirup may be added to pud

dings, cake frosting, gelatins and salad dressing

(18), also poured over gingerbread, pancakes,

waffles or ice cream. For jelly, % lb. of sugar is

required for each pint of extracted juice (49).

Generally, it is not necessary to add pectin to

make a firm jelly. In fact, the calyces possess

3.19% pectin (4) and, in West Pakistan, roselle

has been recommended as a source of pectin for

the fruit-preserving industry (46).

Juice made by cooking 4 quarts of calyces with

10 cups of water (or less, depending on strength

desired) is used for cold drinks and may be frozen

or bottled if not for immediate needs. In sterilized,

sealed bottles or jars it keeps well providing no

sugar has been added (49). In the West Indies and

tropical America, roselle is prized primarily for

the cooling, lemonade-like beverage made from the

calyces (16, 56). This is still "one of the most

popular summer drinks of Mexico", as Rose ob

served in 1899 (50). In Egypt, roselle "ade" is

consumed cold in the summer, hot in winter. In

Jamaica, a traditional Christmas drink is pre

pared by putting roselle into an earthenware jug

with a little grated ginger and sugar as desired,

pouring boiling water over it and letting it stand

overnight. The liquid is drained off and served with

ice and often with a dash of rum (5). A similar

spiced drink has long been made by natives of

West Tropical Africa (17).

Fermented, the juice yields an excellent wine.

Mrs. Robert Newcomb of Homestead, Florida,

made a fine product by boiling a bushel of calyces,

straining the juice and pouring into a 5-gal. glass

bottle, adding 12 lbs. of sugar by funnel and %

cake of fresh yeast, corking and siphoning until

thoroughly "worked". (37)

The dried calyces are utilized in Europe to

make extracts for flavoring liqueurs. In the United

States, F&DA regulations permit the use of the

extracts in alcoholic beverages (21). In India and

Burma, roselle is sometimes used as a dye (11).

The young leaves and tender stems of roselle

are eaten raw in salads (19) or cooked as greens

(38, 64) alone or in combination with other vege

tables (60) or with meat or fish (10). They are

also added to curries as seasoning (25). The leaves

of green roselle are marketed in large quantities

in Dakar, West Africa (6).

The juice of the boiled and strained leaves and

stems is utilized for the same purposes as the

juice extracted from the calyces (49, 65). Wester

wrote in 1920: "The utilization of the herbage of

the roselle for the wholesale manufacture of a

wholesome, cheap wine was conceived by the writer

several years ago before Prohibition was enacted

in the United States. This aspect of the wholesale

culture of the roselle cannot, of course, be con

sidered within the jurisdiction of the United States

at present." However, he envisioned a great de

mand for roselle in the manufacture of soft drinks

(63).

The commercial potential of roselle has yet to

be fully realized, but the time may have arrived

when mass production of the herbage for beverage

use may be feasible.

The seeds are somewhat bitter but have been

ground to a meal for human food in Africa and

have also been roasted as a substitute for coffee

(61). The residue remaining after extraction of

oil by parching, soaking and pounding the seeds or

by crushing and boiling them, is eaten in soup or

blended with bean meal in patties (17). It is high

in protein and valued as cattle feed when available

in quantity (4). The seeds are considered excellent

feed for chickens (30).

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