Hibiscus flower drink (Agua de jamaica)

1. Rinse the dried hibiscus flowers quickly under cold water in a sieve to wash off any dust.

2. Bring 500 ml of water to the boil in a saucepan, add the flowers and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

3. Take off the heat, stir in the sugar until dissolved and leave to steep for 20-30 minutes – this makes it deep burgundy and tart.

4. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug, pressing the flowers.

5. Top up with the remaining 1.5 litres of cold water, squeeze in the lime juice, taste and add more sugar if needed.

6. Serve well chilled with plenty of ice and lime slices.

Tip: Don't throw away the soaked flowers – in Mexico they're fried with onion and used as a taco filling.