Badia Hibiscus tea. Sorrel. 25 tea bags

Hibiscus tea — sorrel to most of the Caribbean — is the deep ruby-red infusion brewed from dried hibiscus calyces, served hot in cooler months and iced for the rest of the year. Badia's 25-bag box puts the prep work in your cupboard: no straining, no measuring loose petals.

The flavor is sharp, floral, and tart, closer to cranberry than to any traditional tea. Naturally caffeine-free, so it works for an afternoon merienda or a late-evening cup without keeping anyone up.

Common Uses: brewed hot with a cinnamon stick and a squeeze of lime; iced and sweetened for agua de Jamaica; chilled and spiked with rum for sorrel punch at gatherings; reduced into a syrup for cocktails and sodas; base for hibiscus margaritas and palomas.

Cultural Context: Sorrel is the Caribbean Christmas drink in Jamaica, Trinidad, and across the English-speaking islands, where it's brewed in big pots with ginger and cloves. In Mexico it's agua de Jamaica, the red pitcher on every taquería counter. Cuban households drink it less ceremonially but recognize it as a familiar pan-Latin staple, often kept on hand for guests who want something cold and not too sweet.

Pairs With: fresh ginger, allspice, cloves, cinnamon, lime, white rum, sparkling water, simple syrup, mint.

Ships nationwide. A simple way to keep a Caribbean classic stocked without sourcing dried flowers from a specialty market.