Hibiscus, in cooking, almost always means roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) — a tropical shrub of the mallow family whose fleshy crimson calyces are dried and used for their bracingly tart, cranberry-like flavour. Steeped, they make the ruby-red agua de jamaica of Mexico and the sorrel drinks of the Caribbean; cooked down, they become jams, syrups, sauces and confections.