This is a really strange tisane. The flowers are large and a beautiful red. They smell like smoked meat, particularly like a beef snack stick, the sort of long… thin snack sausages you can find in nearly every convenience store in the US… like a Slim Jim.
The infusion brews a sort of amber color. The flavor is surprisingly sweeter than I expected, a little bit fruity but more umami, kind of a tomato flavor, with a hint of smoke that follows in the aftertaste. It’s a little bit tangy like hibiscus, but not nearly as bold.
I can’t believe how much I actually enjoy this. It tastes a lot like tomato juice but with a smokey aftertaste. After the smokey aftertaste dies out, the taste left in my mouth reminds me of dried apple chips, especially tart green ones like Granny Smith.
I feel funny rating this tisane higher than the green smiley face on the scale. Haha. I feel kind of nuts for liking this.
Flavors: Meat, Smoked, Tangy, Umami