When Art and I went for our walk last week, we passed by a plant that looked like a sort of hibiscus that grew near our plantation home where my brother and I grew up. Those buds never fully unfurl.
We used to sip on the nectar after removing the flower from the stem and sepal. Just goes to show you how poor we were that we couldn't afford to have candy all the time. Well, that isn't exactly true because I do recall eating quite a few Look candy bars (which were 5 cents, by the way).
I mentioned this to Art and he said he did the same thing as a kid on the Big Island.
That really surprised me.
We grew up on different islands BEFORE the age of Twitter and Facebook.
How did he and his buddies know about this?
Well, we picked one of the buds for this blog post and Art decided to actually try it. When I pulled the blossom out quite a bit of nectar poured out.
Art says it really was very sweet.
I wondered if I could find out something about this online and by golly! I did.
Hidden Valley Hibiscus stated:
Probably not. There are too many sweets available these days. And I really wouldn't advise kids to be tasting wild fruits and weeds like we did.
I'm remembering when my daughter was coaxed to try a bitter nightshade berry by a neighbor because he thought they were currants.
That was not as happy a memory as our hibiscus nectar.
POSTSCRIPT: My good friend, Cal (who grew up on Maui) just told me that they did the same thing when they were children.
We used to sip on the nectar after removing the flower from the stem and sepal. Just goes to show you how poor we were that we couldn't afford to have candy all the time. Well, that isn't exactly true because I do recall eating quite a few Look candy bars (which were 5 cents, by the way).
I mentioned this to Art and he said he did the same thing as a kid on the Big Island.
That really surprised me.
We grew up on different islands BEFORE the age of Twitter and Facebook.
How did he and his buddies know about this?
Well, we picked one of the buds for this blog post and Art decided to actually try it. When I pulled the blossom out quite a bit of nectar poured out.
Art says it really was very sweet.
I wondered if I could find out something about this online and by golly! I did.
Hidden Valley Hibiscus stated:
"Hibiscus is one of the many flower species that produce nectar. This nectar attracts bees, hummingbirds, bats, and other potential pollinators to the flowers. If you are not equipped with a long thin beak similar to a hummingbird, you are not likely to experience the nectar from hibiscus flowers. However, every now and then when handling the blooms, a drop of nectar will escape a flower and land on your hand or arm. If you choose to taste it, you will find that it is a pleasantly sweet liquid. It is what bees use to make honey and hummingbirds use for their own nutrition."I wonder if kids are still doing this.
Probably not. There are too many sweets available these days. And I really wouldn't advise kids to be tasting wild fruits and weeds like we did.
I'm remembering when my daughter was coaxed to try a bitter nightshade berry by a neighbor because he thought they were currants.
That was not as happy a memory as our hibiscus nectar.
POSTSCRIPT: My good friend, Cal (who grew up on Maui) just told me that they did the same thing when they were children.
I used to suck the nectar from honeysuckle flowers. When I lived in the Philippines I would eat the begonia flowers. At least I think they were begonias. Never tried it stateside.
ReplyDeleteI have a vague memory of trying to such nectar from the clover grwoing in the lawn as a kid. I guess kids follow the example of bees?
ReplyDeleteThis is some pretty exotic stuff--I grew up in the country and the only wild thing I ate was blackberries! PS. I remember when candy bars were 10 cents, but (full-size) Resses Cups were only a nickel. A nickel!
ReplyDelete5¢ chocolate bars (no, we don't call chocolate bars, candy bats here)
ReplyDeleteHow lovely that you can try that.
ReplyDeleteIt's beautiful!
ReplyDeleteWe had so many hibiscus in the Keys when I was a child but I never tried that. Kind of sorry now I didn't.
ReplyDeleteIn Puerto Rico (where I lived as a teenager), we had lots of hibiscus flowers everywhere. I love the look of them, but I have never tasted their nectar. Now I feel sorry that I no longer have access to that lovely flower! I would definitely taste it today, if I could. :-)
ReplyDeleteAmazing, wonderful childhood story. Don't think I've seen the unfurled type of hibiscus when visiting the Islands. Since most hibiscus doesn't have a scent, I always wondered why the hibiscus teas were promoted, or even lotions that claim to have hibiscus scents. Hmmmm, maybe it's from this special unfurled species.
ReplyDeleteI too grew up walking by our yard's honeysuckle bush and pulling out the pistol from the back end and have a drop or two of nectar to taste.
Wonder if your Mom did anything like that as a youngster.
Linda in Kansas
We had a huge honeysuckle hedge in our backyard in Illinois. Sheesh! I didn't know you could get nectar from that too! As for mom, she just tells me about picking tomatoes in a field and eating them like apples.
DeleteInteresting childhood memories, I remember climbing up trees-I was a tomboy, and picking green apples then trying to take a bite of these very sour treats...
ReplyDeleteGrowing up in Palolo Valley, so did I! We also used to pick the buds off of a yellow flower that had stiff leaves and put them on our fingers so it looked like we had long witch-like finger nails. And my favorite was when the yasai man would come in his truck and I was given 5¢ to buy the dill pickle in green wax. I used to play with the green wax for hours.
ReplyDeleteLife was so much simpler even though we were poorer. Our kids and their kids will not know of that because they are too connected with their electronics. They are smarter, but we are more experienced.
Hmmm... I don't think I was into dill pickles, but my friend was. We did have fun, didn't we?
DeleteI don't think I ever had nectar.
ReplyDeleteLike Olga, we sucked the nectar from clover. There wasn't much to taste but biting off the ends of the petals pulled from the base gave a tiny sweet taste.
ReplyDeleteWe used to chew on the flat round pods of a plant we called pepper weed. It was tangy, like pepper. I don't remember indulging in any other vegetation.
ReplyDeleteWhen you and Art were kids you were free range. You played all over the place with other kids. Kids teach each other about these things. Parents have passed it on.
ReplyDeleteI bet you that kids still taste the nectar today too.
ReplyDeleteLiterally sweet!
ReplyDelete