The incredible tropical blossoms on display throughout the island amazed me when I first arrived on Bequia, and I took great pleasure in placing the beautiful flowers in a vase to brighten my living room. One day I arrived at Mac’s mother’s house for lunch, and offered her a lovely bouquet of hibiscuses I had picked along the roadside. I had noticed that Momma only had plastic flowers in her house, and figured she would be pleased with my gift. To my surprise, Momma chastised me roundly for picking the flowers; in her opinion, flowers belonged on trees and bushes, not in vases, and I never made the mistake of offering her a floral bouquet again. Over the years I noticed that many local homes were decorated with plastic or silk flowers, Momma wasn’t the only Bequian who disdained vases of fresh blossoms in her living room!
I loved the colourful hibiscuses, and so did Mac. He enjoyed gardening, and planted several different types on our property at Belmont. Unlike his mother, Mac encouraged me to pick as many flowers as I wanted, and his green thumb ensured a steady supply. Hibiscus blossoms unfold in the morning to give joy throughout the day, then fold up and die in the evening to be replaced by new flowers the following morning. I have never tired of watching a day in the life of these lovely flowers, and was sad when, not long after Mac’s death, mealy bugs destroyed the bushes he had planted with such care around our house.
Most hibiscus flowers as well as their leaves are edible, but with the exception of sorrel I have never experimented with them in my kitchen. Sorrel is a local favourite at Christmas-time in the Caribbean, and I always offered the delicious deep red juice at the Pizzeria. Sorrel is easy to make, and has the added benefit of being good for us due to the vitamin C it contains. Sorrel is also served as hot tea, but I prefer mine over ice or, even better, in a refreshing wine spritzer.
Over the years I have come across recipes for salads made with hibiscus blossoms, but have to admit that the thought of eating the delicate petals has never appealed to me; they look very pretty adorning a salad, but any flowers in a salad served to ME will invariably end up on the side of my plate!
Hibiscus flowers can be dried, then used in cakes, ice cream, syrups, jams and chutney. They can also be cooked in a sugary syrup, then dredged in sugar to be used as dessert garnishes. There are many ways in which the flowers and leaves can be utilized in the kitchen if one has the desire to learn. I myself will stick to the making of sorrel during the holidays and leave the preparation and eating of hibiscus petals to others!
A few days ago, I spotted a bush near the Gingerbread tennis court and just HAD to stop, it was absolutely dripping with gorgeous, peach-coloured double hibiscus flowers. I thought of Son and Pat Mitchell as I snipped a blossom to carry home, knowing that one of them had planted the bush at some point in time. I also thought of Momma Simmons, and smiled as I remembered her disapproval of fresh flowers in vases. I can only imagine what her reaction would be if she knew that people pay good money at fancy restaurants to eat the hibiscus blossoms! The mental image made me laugh out loud.
A fun note about hibiscus flowers; if a woman wears a blossom behind her left ear she is already taken, a flower behind the right ear indicates she’s available…….
