Egyptian Hibiscus Tea (Karkadeh)

Place the dried hibiscus flowers in a bowl and cover with water to give them a quick rinse. Immediately strain the flowers to avoid washing away too much flavor.

In a large pan, bring 1.5 liters of water to a boil.

Add the rinsed hibiscus flowers to the boiling water.

Add a handful of fresh mint and squeeze in the juice from one orange.

Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the mixture steep for 5-10 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.

While the hibiscus tea concentrate is still hot, add the sugar and stir until it is completely dissolved.

Allow the concentrate to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill completely.

To serve, fill a glass or pitcher with orange slices, fresh mint leaves, and ice.

Pour in the chilled hibiscus concentrate, then dilute with cold water to your desired strength. The concentrate is strong, so start with a 1:1 ratio of concentrate to water and adjust to taste.

Stir or shake well to combine and serve immediately.