Roselle Jam

Why people make this jam

Roselle flowers — those vivid crimson hibiscus calyces — arrive in late summer and early autumn, and making a batch of this jewel-bright jam is one of the most rewarding ways to use them. The process is wonderfully simple: strip the red calyces from the green fruit inside, soak them briefly in salted water, chop, and cook with an equal weight of brown sugar until thick and glossy. The resulting jam is tart, fragrant, intensely flavoured, and looks like something from a high-end deli counter. It can be spread on toast, stirred into yoghurt, served alongside pork dishes or century eggs as a condiment, or eaten straight from a spoon. Roselle is traditionally considered to stimulate the appetite, support digestion, and generate fluids — it is particularly useful when the warm-weather months have left the digestive system sluggish. Fresh roselle calyces are available at Chinese or Asian grocers and organic produce suppliers when in season.