HIBISCUS COMES TO AMERICA
IN
THE BEGINNING
The following is the wonderful and mystical
story of the journey of our very beautiful and treasured flower called Hibiscus which grows from our many farms in the rich
fertile soil of the White Nile River in Northern Africa. For many years we have provided a livelihood
to the farmers whose families rely on this plentiful crop...but this is no ordinary flower. Mother Nature has provided us with a well kept secret buried
beneath the base of the flower called the calyx bulb. Ancient civilizations including the Egyptians discovered
the healing effects of the robust beverage they made from this dried calyx. They called this dark red infused tea “karkade”.
It is here where the real story
begins. Deep within the fleshy and fibrous calyx, Mother Nature has provided a storehouse of natural occurring
compounds called antioxidants. When sun dried, these compounds become concentrated in the hard red colored
pieces of the calyx and therein lies the royal treasure.
FROM AFRICA TO THE SHORES OF AMERICA,
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
After several years of testing in the kitchens
and laboratories of Africa and Europe, we decided to take the next bold step in trying to unlock the hidden mysteries found
within our dried Hibiscus herb. In the summer of 1999 in California, food scientists began conducting
laboratory experiments in an effort to commercialize extractions from our prized Hibiscus. With the dawn of the 21st century,
we had been making several very good tasting beverages but we felt that additional scientific effort was needed to capture
the truly unique characteristics of this beautiful botanical herb. With the tremendous growth and acceptance
of ready-to-drink teas and energy drinks in North America, we were spurred on to import larger amounts of dried Hibiscus in
early 2007 to provide us the opportunity of making more commercial strength extracts.
THE
BIRTH OF HIBEX 100 IN 2008
Larger commercial extractions in the spring
of 2008 proved successful in capturing the elusive aroma and true flavor of our precious Hibiscus. Later
that year, we were finally successful in making the first commercial 35%+ solids concentrated liquid extract that was truly
remarkable… HibEx 100 concentrate was born. With our vast global quantity
of our prized Hibiscus sabdariffa plant extract available, we could now look forward to importing large quantities
of dried herb to satisfy the American and Hispanic appetite for a truly remarkable herbal tea experience.
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES BEYOND BEVERAGES
Having removed most of the water from our concentrate, our newly
Americanized, all natural version is now ready to sell to major bottlers of teas, juice blends, smoothies, flavored waters
and energy drinks. Supported through scientific studies from accredited laboratories, HibEx
100 with its high antioxidant level will surely find its way into many commercial food products. Recent
studies have shown that our latest spray dried HibEx SD is the perfect health food supplement
to support a healthy urinary tract (see reference page). With the current market interest focused on anti-aging, our latest dry version will be made available
for cosmeceutical and dermatological formulation in many skin creams and gel preparations. The Hibiscus saga is only beginning to unfold and HibEx
100 will, no doubt, become a recognizable ingredient in the American marketplace.
