I'll take these over Vegemite any day...

I don't usually open a bottle of bubbly on Monday nights. But I was compelled to do so yesterday so I could try something remarkable: Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Champagne... The company behind this product says they handpick the flowers in "the tropics of northern Australia."

It was amazing, I tell you. The hibiscus lent floral and almost honeyed notes to the Champagne. I can only describe the flavor as an exotic blend of rhubarb and strawberry. And the pretty pink delicacy gave the Champagne the most amazing blush. The flower sat beautfully in the base of the flute, bubbles racing around it. And eating the flower when the Champagne was gone (booooo...) was marvelous. It had a soft, delicate texture, just as you would expect, but with a bit of a bite. Delicious.

The hibiscus flowers are available at Williams-Sonoma stores. An 8.8-ounce jar of 11 flowers is $14. You can also order them on http://www.wildhibiscus.com/.

Beautiful and intriguing, these would be perfect for a party. I have no doubt your guests will not soon forget it. Then again, they wouldn't forget Vegemite if you served that, but for very different reasons...