Hibiscus Tea: Health Benefits And How To Brew Properly

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How to Make Hibiscus Tea Properly

By Jee Choe

Updated Apr 10, 2025

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Hibiscus tea is an herbal tea that’s caffeine-free. See how to properly brew this bright red tea properly, step-by-step, with expert tips from a Tea Sommelier.

Hot hibiscus tea in a glass mug.
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Table of Contents

  • Hibiscus Tea
  • Note from Jee
  • Hibiscus Loose Tea vs Tea Bags
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Tea Sommelier’s Tips
  • Related
  • Hibiscus Tea Recipe

Hibiscus Tea

Hibiscus tea is an herbal, caffeine-free drink made from steeping dried hibiscus calyces (the part of the plant that supports the petals and protect the bud) in water. It tastes a little tart, like a mild cranberry.

The tea is naturally red. The bright red hibiscus colors the water and flavors it. The hibiscus plant is known for its large, bright colored flowers and it is grown in regions with tropical temperatures.

Hibiscus contains compounds that have estrogen-like properties. If you’re pregnant or have reproductive concerns, talk to your doctor before drinking hibiscus tea.

Note from Jee

How do you pronounce hibiscus? There are 2 ways to say it. There’s HIGH-BISS-KUSS and the British English pronunciation HEE-BISS-KUSS.

I went to a couple of shops to buy hibiscus and after I asked for HEE-biss-kuss, they would say back to me, oh, HIGH-biss-kuss.

I’ve always known it to be called HEE-biss-kuss so that’s how I say it.

RELATED: Hibiscus Syrup

Hibiscus Loose Tea vs Tea Bags

Hibiscus loose tea and hibiscus in tea bag.

The more of the whole hibiscus calyces you can see, the better the quality. Loose hibiscus tea is higher quality since you can see the shape of the flower calyces. Hibiscus tea bags are of lower quality since they’re filled with crushed hibiscus.

Always use food-grade hibiscus to make sure they weren’t treated with pesticides.

My Hibiscus Tea Pick

Photo Credit: amazon.com

100% pure hibiscus tea with nothing else added. SHOP NOW

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Boil water. Use an electric kettle with temperature settings to boil water to get the water temperature just right. Boil more than needed since you want extra to warm up the teapot.

The better the water, the better the tea. I recommend using filtered water.

Step 2: Warm up the teapot. Pour some hot water into the teapot and swirl it around a bit. Discard the water.

Warming up the teapot helps to brew the tea properly, keeping the water temperature hot.

Step 3: Put dried hibiscus into the teapot and add hot water. Cover teapot and steep.

Step 4: Strain hibiscus solids and pour hot tea into a teacup.

Tea Sommelier’s Tips

Adjust as needed.For a stronger cup of hibiscus tea, add a couple of more minutes to your steep time or add 1/2 teaspoon more of hibiscus.

Serve it with or without sugar.Hibiscus tea can be served with or without sugar and hot or iced. If you want to sweeten hot tea, you can use any kind of sweetener.

Herbal teas don’t get bitter like green tea.Herbal teas like hibiscus are a lot easier to brew than other types of teas since it doesn’t get overly bitter if brewed for more than 5 minutes so don’t worry if it steeps for longer.

Store it properly.Hibiscus tea can be brewed and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep it covered or airtight glass container or pitcher.

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Hibiscus Tea

By: Jee Choe How to make hibiscus tea properly to make the perfect cup every time. Prep Time: 2 minutes Total Time: 7 minutes Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients 1x2x3x

  • ▢ 1 cup water, + more to warm teapot
  • ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons hibiscus tea

Instructions

  • Boil water.If using an electric kettle with temperature setting, set it to 208°F. Boil a little more water than needed so that it can be used to warm up the teapot. Filtered water is best.
  • Warm up teapot.Pour some hot water into a teapot and swirl it around. Discard the water.Warming up the teapot is an extra step that all tea professionals take the time to do, so that when the tea steeps, the water temperature won't drop drastically.
  • Put hibiscus tea into the teapot and add hot water. Cover teapot and steep for 5 minutes.
  • Strain hibiscus flowers and pour hot tea into a teacup.

Notes

  • Use loose tea instead of tea bags for a better quality cup of tea.
  • For a stronger cup of hibiscus tea, add a couple of more minutes to your steep time or add ½ teaspoon more of hibiscus.
  • Herbal teas like hibiscus are a lot easier to brew than other types of teas since it doesn’t get overly bitter if brewed for more than 5 minutes so don’t worry if it steeps for longer.
  • Hibiscus tea can be brewed and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Keep it covered or airtight glass container or pitcher.

Nutrition

Calories: 3Carbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 12mgSugar: 1gVitamin C: 1mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Tag » How To Make Hibiscus Tea