Malaysia

I’ve just recently become acquainted with the hibiscus. Yes, I’ve known about this beautiful flower for a long time but have never really taken a profound interest in it, afterall, it’s just a flower, right? Well it is, but it has much more to it than mere aesthetics.

The hibiscus is considered to have various medical uses in Chinese herbology from skincare, where it’s been shown to function as an anti-solar agent by absorbing ultraviolet radiation, to acting as an ailment for coughs, hair loss and hair greying.

It is also the national flower of Malaysia, where all my family on my mum’s side are from. There it is known as Bunga Raya, literally translated as ‘big flower’. It was introduced into the Malay Peninsula in the 12th century and was nominated as the national flower in 1958 by the Ministry of Agriculture amongst a few other flowers, such as ylang ylang, jasmine, lotus, rose, magnolia and medlar. On 28 July 1960, it was declared by the government of Malaysia that the hibiscus would be the national flower. The red of the petals symbolizes the courage, life, and rapid growth of the Malaysian people and the five petals represent the five national principles of the country. These are a belief in god, loyalty to king and country, supremacy of the constitution, rule of law and courtesy and morality. The flower is also found imprinted on the notes and coins of the Malaysian Ringgit.

That is not where it ends though. When hibiscus flowers are dried they also have multiple culinary uses. Soak them and watch whilst the water turns the brightest crimson hue! The flavour is very sour and slightly reminiscent of cherries which lends wonderfully to delicious drinks, in particular ‘Agua de Jamaica’ (pronounced Ha-mike-ah), or ‘Flor de Jamaica’ as it’s known in Mexico.

Agua de Jamaica, (Adapted from ‘Paletas, by Fany Gerson)

Makes 6 cups

1 1/2 cups dried hibiscus flowers

6 cups cold water

3/4 cup caster sugar

Method

Rinse the flowers in cold water then drain them thoroughly. Put them in a saucepan with the water, and let steep for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in the sugar and stir until it’s dissolved. Let cool to room temperature. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pitcher or large jug, pressing the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Refrigerate until chilled and taste, adding more water if you think it’s too concentrated. Serve over plenty of ice. I also added some mint and a few slices of lime. Very zingy and refreshing!

• Agua de Jamaica isn’t an overly sweet drink. I think of it as more of an iced tea really, but feel free to add more sugar if you think it might need it, or better yet, if you have some sugar syrup on hand you can add it to taste before serving! Now I’d suggest you go and find yourself some dried hibiscus and get well and truely quenched!

Before you start thinking I’m about to give you a recipe with a method of,

‘1. Grab a tin opener.

2. Open the tin.

3. Serve. Enjoy your bowl of rice pudding folks!’

I must stop you in your tracks. This pudding could most definitely be defined as ambrosia, in the ‘food of the gods’ sense only though, as it has way too much personality (and rice for that matter) to be affiliated with that from the can. In saying that I really don’t mind the tinned stuff too much but when compared with this toothsome beauty it suddenly becomes redundant.

There are days where only a bowl of warm homemade rice pudding will do and this one ticks all of the boxes. The aroma that filled my kitchen whilst making this was so heavenly I struggle to find the words to do it justice. This coconut rice pudding, infused with pandan and just a hint of vanilla, was subtle yet somehow the flavours were distinct enough to evoke the beautiful flavours I have tasted whilst visiting family in Malaysia. Pandan is a tropical plant which is used widely throughout Southeast Asian cuisine as a flavouring or, when blended with a little water, a vibrant green food colouring. It can be used in either sweet or savoury dishes and is complemented wonderfully by coconut. I find this recipe works incredibly well using sushi rice, not only just in keeping with the other asian ingredients I have included here but mainly because the grains are lovely and plump, making it texturally very satisfying to eat.

Coconut Pandan Rice Pudding (Serves 6)

2 Tablespoons sunflower oil

200g (7 oz) sushi rice or regular short-grain rice

1.25 litres (44 Fl oz/5 cups) full fat milk

250ml (1 cup) coconut milk

1 pandan leaf, folded in two and knotted

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or a vanilla pod

60g caster (superfine) sugar (2oz)

Method

Heat the oil in a heavy based pan then add the rice and gently stir to warm it and coat the grains. Add the milk, coconut milk, knotted pandan leaf and vanilla bean paste (if using a vanilla pod just split it in two, scrape out the sticky black seeds with the back of the knife and add it to the pot along with the split pod). Bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring quite often so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the caster sugar, then let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes stirring frequently as before until the rice is tender and has a nice thick consistency.

This is delicious eaten warm, although it also makes a mighty tasty breakfast the following day with a healthy spoonful of jam! Although I’m usually a raspberry jam kind of girl I opted for a high fruit strawberry jam this time around.
Next time I might be tempted to try pineapple for a more authentic combination, although any type will do really depending on your preference and what you happen to have on hand!

Tag: Malaysia

Hola Hibiscus!

Absolute Ambrosia