Juneteenth is the African-American celebration of the emancipation of enslaved Black people. African American freedom day.
Red, white, and blue are the official colors of Juneteenth. But the color red is extra special.
Red is the primary color of Juneteenth, symbolic of our ancestors’ bloodshed before freedom. So we honor them with a celebratory spread of African-American soul food – highlighting the red food recipes!
We celebrate Juneteenth with soul food classic dishes with a focus on red food and drinks like Southern hibiscus sweet tea.
So what do you serve at a Juneteenth party?
Check out this Juneteenth menu of red food and drink ideas for what you can bring to a Juneteenth party.
What food or drinks might you see at a Juneteenth celebration?
- Red drink: Southern hibiscus sweet tea
- Red velvet cake
- Pork jowl bacon
- Tomato watermelon salad
- Tomato Southern pasta salad
- Watermelon red soda
- Watermelon Dole Whip
- Red cabbage coleslaw
- Cranberry sauce
- Cranberry sauce cornbread
- Red beans and rice
- Juneteenth BBQ foods: chicken, ribs, sausage, beef brisket
What is Southern hibiscus sweet tea?
Made the same way as Black folks Southern sweet tea, except this tea is vibrant red and has a delicate floral aroma.
And like all Southern sweet teas, this one is more than just a thirst-quenching beverage – it symbolizes Southern hospitality and good company enjoyed throughout the deep South.
Drinking sweet tea on a hot day is the epitome of comfort, and hibiscus iced tea is a great meal starter, too! Especially when served with fresh cookies!
What is the official drink of Juneteenth?
Red hibiscus sweet tea for two reasons. Simply because the beverage is red. And hibiscus flowers are native to West Africa. A popular drink still made there today.
Essentially, hibiscus tea (red drink) has been part of Black culture since the beginning. Boiling the African hibiscus flowers to make a delicious organic drink.
When you purchase a hibiscus herbal tea today, the dried hibiscus flower is in the tea bag you steep in hot water. Then, you simply add ice for a cold brew tea – iced hibiscus tea!
Hibiscus sweet tea is perfect for your Juneteenth traditions menu.
What are hibiscus tea benefits?
Hibiscus tea is a popular herbal tea with a long history.
It’s rich in antioxidants, which help fight off free radicals that can cause cell damage.
Hibiscus tea is also the perfect way to get your daily dose of vitamin C.
How to make Southern hibiscus tea
Kitchen equipment for Southern hibiscus sweet tea
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (optional)
- Or a large 6–8-quart pot
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Ingredients for Southern hibiscus sweet tea
- 8 small or 4 large hibiscus tea bags
- 5 quarts of cold water
- 3 cups of granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
Instructions for Southern hibiscus sweet tea
- Cut the strings off the tea bags. (Careful not to cut the hibiscus tea bag because you don’t want dried hibiscus flowers floating around in your tea!)
- Open the Instant Pot lid and pour the water into the stainless steel inner pot. (Or, if using the stovetop, add all the ingredients to a large pot, steep/soak the tea bags in the boiling water for 30 minutes, and move on to step 8.)
- Then stir in the sugar and baking soda and add the tea bags.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for 15 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Using oven mitts, remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot burner.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the tea bags from the pot.
- Pour the tea into a pitcher and optionally add a lemon slice or fresh mint.
- Serve Southern hibiscus sweet tea over ice, and enjoy!
Do you have a recipe for Southern iced tea with black tea?
What do you serve with Southern hibiscus sweet tea?
This tea goes well with a wide range of dishes and soul food Southern favorite recipes. From salads to desserts, and of course most main dishes.
In the South, fried foods are prevalent. So it’s common to see people eating foods like Southern fried chicken, potato salad, or fried fish and enjoying a glass of perfect Southern sweet tea!
Southern hibiscus sweet tea FAQs
Does hibiscus tea taste sweet?
Is hibiscus tea naturally sweet? Hibiscus tea is naturally sweet and has a bright, refreshing taste.
What does hibiscus tea taste like?
The taste of this tea is a slightly floral, tangy flavor with sweet notes.
What flavors pair well with hibiscus?
Feel free to get creative and add chopped fruit, juice, sparkling water, honey, flavored fruit concentrate, or simple syrup to your Southern hibiscus sweet tea.
For example, you could make hibiscus pomegranate iced tea, strawberry hibiscus iced tea, or hibiscus peach iced tea.
Lemon juice or fresh lime juice are easy natural additives to add more tang to this sweet tea recipe.
A cinnamon stick is always a fun addition to any hot tea drink or when drinking hibiscus tea.
And suppose you steep organic dried hibiscus flower or loose leaf tea. In that case, you could combine the dried flower tea with watermelon juice poured over ice for a refreshing hibiscus auga fresca! Then garnish with hibiscus leaves.
What is hibiscus tea at Starbucks?
Starbucks says their hibiscus ice tea includes water, sugar, citric acid, freeze-dried blackberries, white grape concentrate, and other natural flavors.
To request this secret-menu drink, order a Starbucks Passion Iced Tea, and substitute the water for Starbucks’ Very Berry Hibiscus with light ice.
Why is hibiscus called Jamaica?
In Spanish, the translation for Jamaica is habiscus! Flor de Jamaica (flower of Jamaica). That’s because the hibiscus flower originated in Jamaica.
Are Jamaica and hibiscus the same?
Jamaica is synonymous with hibiscus. The fresh hibiscus flower is also known as agua de Jamaica (water of Jamaica).
West Indians call the hibiscus sorrel or sorrel, Africans call the plant Roselle, and it’s known as hibiscus in other locales.
Where does hibiscus flower tea get its color?
It is the anthocyanins that give hibiscus flower tea its beautiful red color.
Anthocyanins are potent antioxidants that have been proven to have unique health benefits.
Is hibiscus tea good for your hair?
Hibiscus tea has been said to help prevent hair loss, strengthen your hair, and make it grow longer. Things I’m always in favor of!
Does hibiscus tea reduce belly fat?
While I have no experience with this (LOL! You know I’m kidding!), hibiscus tea is also said to be a natural remedy that helps reduce belly fat.
Is hibiscus tea ok to drink at night?
The general rule is to enjoy hibiscus tea as much as you like!
As long as you do it in moderation, especially in moderation of Southern hibiscus sweet tea, which requires a few cups of sugar.
Also, it’s important to note that hibiscus tea does not contain caffeine. Instead, it contains melatonin that promotes sleep. So, drinking it in the evening won’t keep you awake!
Does hibiscus tea help with anxiety?
I’m certainly no expert here, but hibiscus tea also has positive effects on calming stress and anxiety.
Can you use the Instant Pot to make iced tea?
Instant Pot drinks are a real thing, from homemade eggnog to hot chocolate.
This recipe shows you how to make Southern sweet tea with an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker for modern ease and efficiency.
How long does hibiscus tea last in the fridge?
This tea can be kept covered in the fridge for up to a week.
What do you think of this recipe for Juneteenth Southern hibiscus sweet tea?
Have you had this hibiscus tea recie?
Would you make it?
Comment below and lemme know. Then subscribe HERE for all the soul food!
Equipment
- Instant Pot electric pressure cooker (optional)
- Or a large 6-8 quart pot
Ingredients
- 4 tea bags hibiscus teabags - 4 large (family-size) or 8 small
- 5 quarts water cold
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Cut the strings off the tea bags. (Careful not to cut the hibiscus tea bag because you don’t want dried hibiscus flowers floating around in your tea!)
- Open the Instant Pot lid and pour the water into the stainless steel inner pot. (Or, if using the stovetop, add all the ingredients to a large pot, steep/soak the tea bags in the boiling water for 30 minutes, and move on to step 8.)
- Then stir in the sugar and baking soda and add the tea bags.
- Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
- When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for 15 minutes.
- To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
- Using oven mitts, remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot burner.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the tea bags from the pot.
- Pour the tea into a pitcher and optionally add a lemon slice or fresh mint.
- Serve Southern hibiscus sweet tea over ice, and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
When I’m thinking about Hibiscus I see my plant, LOL. But I never would have thought that they could make it into tea in another part of the world. This is definitely a must try.