Tea & infusions
Karkadé (Hibiscus Tea)
كركديه · karkadé
Karkadé is an infusion of dried hibiscus calyxes that steeps to a dramatic ruby red and tastes bright and tart, somewhere between cranberry and pomegranate. Less ubiquitous than mint tea, it is a herbalist's drink in Morocco — bought dried by the scoop in the spice souk and brewed at home, served hot when the evenings cool or poured over ice as a rose-red refresher in summer.
- Type
- Hibiscus flower infusion
- Served
- Hot in winter, iced in summer
- When
- Herbalist's drink, hot days
- Key flavour
- Tart, cranberry-like, floral
What Karkadé is
Karkadé is made from the dried calyxes of the roselle hibiscus — the fleshy red sheaths left after the flower fades — steeped in hot water to release a startlingly vivid crimson liquid. The flavour is clean and sharply tart, closer to sour berries or unsweetened cranberry juice than to anything floral-sweet, which is why it is almost always sweetened before drinking.
In Morocco it belongs to the world of the attarine (herbalist) rather than the tea tray: hibiscus is one of the dozens of dried plants sold by the scoop in the Rahba Kedima spice square and prized as much for its supposed cooling and blood-pressure-soothing properties as for its taste. It is common across North Africa and especially beloved in Egypt, and it travels easily into Moroccan homes.
How it's made & served
A handful of dried hibiscus is simmered or steeped in water — longer for a deeper, more intense brew — then strained and sweetened generously with sugar or honey to tame the tartness. The colour is so strong that even a modest pinch stains the water a glowing red. Some cooks perfume it with a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves, a strip of orange peel or a splash of orange blossom water.
It is served two ways. In cool weather it is drunk hot, like a fruity herbal tea; in the summer heat it is chilled and poured over plenty of ice with a squeeze of lemon and sometimes a sprig of mint, becoming a tangy, thirst-quenching cooler. Either way, it is a fuss-free brew you can make in one pot.
In the glass, at a glance
- Dried hibiscus (roselle) calyxes, sold loose by the herbalist
- Sugar or honey to balance the tartness
- Water — simmered or steeped
- Optional cinnamon, cloves or a strip of orange peel
- A splash of orange blossom water for perfume
- Ice and lemon for the summer version
A flavour snapshot of what goes in.
When & where you drink it in Marrakech
You will not find karkadé poured automatically the way mint tea is, but you will see the dried flowers heaped in every herbalist's stall in the medina, and many home cooks keep a bag for hot days or a sore throat. Some juice carts and modern cafés in Gueliz serve it iced alongside the fresh juices.
The easiest way to meet it is to buy a scoop in the spice souk and brew it yourself, or to ask on a spice souk tour, where the herbalists explain the dried plants they sell. It sits naturally beside the other souk infusions and the fresh drinks on a juice and smoothie tour.
Cultural notes
In Morocco, hibiscus lives in the overlap between kitchen and pharmacy. The herbalists who sell it also sell it as a remedy — a cooling drink for the body in summer and a folk aid for high blood pressure — and this medicinal framing is part of why it is bought loose from the attarine rather than boxed as a supermarket tea.
It is also a reminder that Moroccan drinking culture is not only mint tea. The country's herbalist tradition brews a whole spectrum of infusions — verbena (louiza), wormwood (chiba), pennyroyal (fliyou) and more — and karkadé, with its show-stopping colour, is among the most striking. Explore the wider palette in our Moroccan food guides.
Frequently asked questions
What does karkadé taste like?
Tart and fruity — much like unsweetened cranberry or sour pomegranate — with a clean, slightly floral edge. Because it is naturally sharp, it is almost always sweetened with sugar or honey.
Is hibiscus tea Moroccan or Egyptian?
It is drunk across North Africa and the Middle East and is especially iconic in Egypt, where it is a national drink. In Morocco it is present but more of a herbalist's infusion than an everyday ritual like mint tea.
Is karkadé served hot or cold?
Both. It is drunk hot as a warming herbal tea in cooler weather and served chilled over ice, often with lemon and mint, as a refreshing cooler in the Marrakech summer.