Pomegranate vs hibiscus
Two tannic red fruit materials that were dyeing and tanning stuffs before they were drinks. Pomegranate peel is the most astringent thing in this catalogue and tastes nothing like the juice.
botanical
What is being compared
Why these get confused
Hibiscus is the invisible base of most 'pomegranate', 'berry' and 'red fruit' infusions on sale.
Point by point
| Aspect | Pomegranate | Hibiscus |
|---|---|---|
| The part used | The dried peel, a by-product of juice production, and also the flower. | The dried calyx — not the petal — of a tropical mallow. |
| Astringency | Overwhelming. It is a tanning material and tastes like one. | Present but moderate, and dominated by sourness rather than tannin. |
| What people expect | Sweetness, from the juice. The peel supplies none of it. | Sourness, and it delivers. |
| Where it is drunk | Iran and India, as a peel infusion, alongside a much larger juice and molasses tradition. | Across Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia. |
| Supermarket versions | 'Pomegranate tea' is almost always hibiscus with flavouring. | Frequently the actual base of everything sold as a red fruit infusion. |
The short answer
If you want a red sour drink, hibiscus is what you want and is probably what is in the packet anyway. Pomegranate peel is for someone who actively likes tannin.
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