A long-lasting infusion, light yellow in colour, pleasantly sour, tangy and sweet, quite similar to greengage but with a slightly darker and more mellow taste.
Some people add agave syrup or honey for extra sweetness. You can eat the fruit after drinking the tisane. The dried fruit is available sliced with the skin on or off – the former makes a quicker infusion.
The fruit look like tiny red apples. The Chinese take the ripened fruit, remove the seeds and mash them with honey to make a dessert which as a child I loved to eat on baking hot days in Singapore. It’s also used to make cakes, jams and jellies.
Hawthorne is believed to regulate blood pressure, stimulate the appetite and reduce phlegm.
Hawthorne Fruit slices come in 20-gram foil pack.