OOBA-licious

Hibiscus. Such an exquisite flower that there are quite few organizations dedicated to its honor—The American Hibiscus Society, the International Hibiscus Society, Fancy Hibiscus.com, exotic-hibiscus.com, among others. These elegant members of the Malvaceae family are lovely to look at.

And drink. We have Hibiscus tea, so why not a sparkling cold refreshing beverage just in time for the warmer weather? OOBA, an acronym for “One of Botany’s Advantages” (plus it’s fun to pronounce) is here. Choose from OOBA Hibiscus, Hibiscus & Orange and Hibiscus & Lime. There are no artificial colors or flavors and the passionate ruby color is from the extract of the Hibiscus flower, hibiscus Sabdariffa. The flowers are hand-harvested from around the world and shipped to California where it is made into a rich extract and then combined with pure water, sweetened and then gently carbonated.

If you prefer an even lighter beverage, add some selzer or for a twist on the spritzer, try a splash of wine. Or go to http://www.oobabeverage.com for some interesting drink variations.

And it might be very good for you. Take a look at the article Hibiscus Tea May Cut Blood Pressure, published by WebMD last November,

http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20081110/hibiscus-tea-may-cut-blood-pressure

Antioxidant, Vitamin C, and Great Taste--- Cheers!