Hibiscus vs sour cherry

The two red sour drinks of Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean, both taken sweetened and often iced. One is a calyx and one is a stone fruit.

botanical

What is being compared

Aspect	Hibiscus	Sour cherry
What it is	The dried calyx of a tropical mallow.	The dried, juiced or preserved fruit of a distinct cherry species.
Flavour	Sharply sour and clean, closer to cranberry, with no stone-fruit character.	Sharp cherry with an almond note from the stone and a tannic finish.
Body	Lighter, dominated by acidity.	Real body from the dried fruit and a rounder mouthfeel.
Preparation	Steeped or simmered; extracts fast and colours immediately.	Simmered or juiced; dried fruit needs time.
Where it is drunk	Egypt, Sudan, Mexico, Jamaica, Nigeria and Thailand under six names.	Turkey as vişne suyu, and across the Balkans and central Europe.
Drying	Survives extremely well; colour and acidity both hold.	Holds character far better than sweet cherry, which flattens out.
In a blend	Frequently the invisible base of anything sold as red fruit.	Usually named, because it is expensive enough to be a selling point.
Sweetening	Universal — every tradition that drinks it sweetens it.	Standard, and it takes it well.

For an iced red drink both work and hibiscus is cheaper. Sour cherry is the more complex and the better hot.

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