Flower Power

A Louisiana farm turns roselle hibiscus blooms into an array of delicious products

- BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON

THERE'S A BOOTH at the Red Stick Farmers Market in Baton Rouge where the star attraction is hibiscus. But it's not the showy ornamental plant you'll often see adorning Southern front porches. It's roselle hibiscus, the smaller, bloodred flower with a fruit that's long been used in a variety of culinary applications. Clinton, Louisiana's Lena Farms began cultivating it in 2012, tapping into a rising interest in hibiscus teas and other products.

Founder Judia Dugas stands over tidily arranged containers of dried hibiscus flowers (along with simple syrup, pepper jelly, chutney, and bottled and dried teas) all made with the versatile plant. Everything is grown and produced by Judia and her family on land that they have lived on and worked for five generations.

Her customers fall into two camps: those who are familiar with the fruit's gently tart flavor and lauded health benefits and those who are hibiscus curious. “How long are you supposed to steep it?” one shopper asks. “As long as you want,” Judia replies. “You just watch the color.”

In other words, don't overthink it. Drop a tablespoon or two of the dried fruit into a few cups of boiling water, and witness the shade change from fuchsia to deep ruby. The darker it is, the more pronounced the taste, she says.