Sea buckthorn vs hibiscus
Two ferociously sour drinks that nobody takes unsweetened, and both stain everything they touch. One is a thorny northern berry; the other a tropical calyx drunk on four continents.
botanical
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Sea buckthorn | Hibiscus |
|---|---|---|
| Sourness | Among the sourest fruits in cultivation, with an oily texture that coats the mouth. | Sharply sour and clean, closer to cranberry. |
| Aroma | Tropical — passion fruit and pineapple — which no northern berry has business having. | Red fruit and sour plum, straightforwardly. |
| Where it is drunk | Russia, Finland, Mongolia, Ladakh and Tibet, as juice and hot drinks. | Egypt, Sudan, Mexico, Jamaica, Nigeria and Thailand, each with its own name. |
| Harvest | The berries cling to thorny branches, so whole branches are cut and frozen first. | Calyces are picked after the flower drops and sun-dried. |
| Form worth buying | Frozen or juice. Dried material loses most of what makes it interesting. | Dried calyces, which keep their colour and acidity well. |
The short answer
Hibiscus is far easier to buy well and is the better dried product. Sea buckthorn is worth the trouble frozen and is a waste of money dried.
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