Tangerine Hibiscus Rub

Description

We’re always looking for a different kind of flavor profile when it comes to creating a new blend. Now, while I tend to gravitate towards sweet heat inspired blends, sometimes I’m in the mood for something a bit more savory and unexpected. I knew when we received our Dried Tangerine Peel and I had my first taste that it was destined to make its way into a new rub.

With the tangerine being a bit sweet, I wanted something to compliment this light flavor. With the success of our Smoked Tea Rub, I decided to give another tea an opportunity to play a starring role in a spice blend; and Hibiscus proved to be the ideal partner. Another recently added ingredient that caught my attention was the flavorful mild heat of our New Mexico Sandia Chile Powder.

Dried Tangerine Peel

Tangerines are a variety of citrus plant whose genus of flowering plants is from the family Rutaceae (orange family). Tangerines are actually a subgroup of the larger mandarin group, Citrus reticulara.

Tangerine’s sweetness infuses savory dishes and desserts with equal sophistication. Orange peel is so universally accepted that you can find the use of fresh or dried peel called for in recipes all over the world. The zest of mandarins and tangerines can be found in Iberian sweets, Middle Eastern couscous and Sichuan stir-fries.

High quality Tangerine peel is highly prized by brew masters when making summer ales, and is also found in Belgian wits, some IPAs and Saisons. The dried zest retains much of the tangerine’s flavor profile, which compliments beers hopped with a citrus character.

Hibiscus

The Hibiscus flower is the state flower of Hawaii and the island’s natives refer to it as “Pua Aloalo” or “Ma'o Hau Hele”. The Hibiscus is a symbol of old Hawaiian royalty and is presented on leis to visiting dignitaries. There are more than 200 known species of hibiscus. Native to Africa, Hibiscus is closely related to a bushy ornamental shrub that decorates many tropical gardens and has become a popular extravagant houseplant in Europe and the U.S.  

Hibiscus tea is an herbal tea infusion made from deep crimson colored calyces (pronounced kale-a-seas) of the Hibiscus sabdariffa flower. Calyces are the leaves that hold the petals together in a hibiscus bud (Calyces are also known as sepals).

The flavor profile of hibiscus herbal tea is tart with a cranberry-like flavor that is mildly bitter with tannin undertones. It’s also been described with a taste that is similar to lemonade.

Sandia Chile Powder

Sandia chile peppers were developed by the famed Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University and are grown throughout the Mesilla Valley, known as New Mexico’s chile bowl, and up into Hatch. New Mexico farmers grow the Sandia cultivar and sell them at roadside stands and these chiles  feature a medium thick fruit wall and they're a flavorful, medium heat red chile powder indicative of the region's chiles.  

Sandia Chiles have a mild fruity sweetness that brings to mind the Anaheim chile, the flavor is not too sweet and the heat is not overpowering.

This is considered a mild to medium heat chile and come in at 5,000 to 7,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units).  

How to Use

We've used this Tangerine Hibiscus Rub on grilled chicken, fish, seafood and have even tried it on pork chops and grilled asparagus with outstanding results. As with most of our blends, we always recommend that you go with a bit less the first couple of times that you use it, as you can always add more if you desire.

As a general rule of thumb we use about 1 tablespoon of seasoning per lb of meat. For fish and seafood about ½ that amount.

What’s In It

Hand blended with hibiscus tea, tangerine peel, garlic, Sandia chile powder, coriander, black pepper, ginger and cumin.

Flavor Profile

It starts off a bit tart and citrusy and then you’ll pick up some floral notes, finally finishing with just a little bit of heat hitting the back of your throat.

This is definitely NOT considered a spicy hot rub.

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Nutritional Information
Serving Size 1 Teaspoon, Amount Per Serving: Calories 0.0, Total Fat 0.9g (0% DV), Sat. Fat 0g (0% DV), Trans Fat 0g (0% DV), Cholest. 0mg (0% DV), Sodium 0mg (0% DV), Total Carb.0.0g (0% DV), Dietary Fiber 0.0g (1% DV), Sugars 0g, Protein 0g (0% DV), Vitamin d (0% DV), Calcium (3.9% DV), Iron (0.1% DV), Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.