Roselle

Roselle Red Bissap Koor

Roselle is native from India to Malaysia>

My parents grew this plant, similar to the lady's finger/okra plant. We used to drink what I thought was a poor man's ribena. In Malaysia, the locals call this simply as ribena fruit.

Today, I proudly grow this plant for vitamin C, for nostalgic feelings and for it's beauty. The flower looks like okra/lady's finger flower. The fruits grow singly from the stem.

Dr Mahathir, ex PM of Malaysia promotes this Roselle as Malaysia's source of vitamin C.

It is a small shrub plant. My photo shows a small shrub. What I have now is bigger.

Young plants and leaves are consumed as spinach and salad, flower calyx used for syrup, jellies, fruits juice and jams. Calyx are dried and sold as an expensive snack. The calyx, stems and leaves are acid and closely resemble the cranberry (Vaccinium spp.) in
flavor

Harvest the leaves all year-round.

I juice both leaves and calyx with a little honey. The calyx gives a beautiful red colour.

Calyx produce after 4-5 month from transplant (around 20-30 days after flowering).

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/roselle.html