Memories of a Nile River cruise.
Several years ago I was fortunate enough to take a wonderful cruise down the Nile River from Cairo to Abu Simbel. Every day when we returned from land excursions to our ship we were greeted at the top of the gang plank by crew members with trays of icy, refreshing Hibiscus Tea - ideal after exploring villages, ancient tombs, or riding camels across the sands! Then I discovered the source of the nectar - the calyces of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant, sometimes called "Roselle"! The Roselle plant is native to Africa, but now grown in Indonesia, India, and many countries with warm, frost-free climates. Roselle can be grown from seed in USDA zones 8-11, and as far north as zone 6 if it’s started indoors and then transplanted outside. Growing roselle plants from cuttings is another option, though the resulting plants tend not to produce as many flowers, which is what they’re often grown for… sort of. The hibiscus-like flowers are beautiful, but ...