When one thinks of tea you usually envision a liquid with either brown or yellowish color. However, there is a tea which is differently colored that most tea, a pop of blue color is produced when steeping this tea whether fresh or dried.
I present to you the Butterfly Pea Flower Tea. So what is this Butterfly Pea Flower!
Clitoria ternatea, commonly known as Asian pigeonwings, bluebell vine, blue pea, butterfly pea, cordofan pea and Darwin pea, is a plant species belonging to the family Fabaceae. In India, it is revered as a holy flower, used in daily puja rituals. The flowers of this vine were imagined to have the shape of human female genitals, hence the Latin name of the genus “Clitoria”, from “clitoris”. The species name is thought to derive from the city of Ternate in the Indonesian archipelago, from where Linnaeus’s specimens originated. This plant is native to equatorial Asia, including locations in South Asia and Southeast Asia but has also been introduced to Africa, Australia and the Americas.
In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, it is ascribed various qualities including memory enhancing, nootropic, antistress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, tranquilizing, and sedative properties. In traditional Chinese medicine, the plant has been ascribed properties affecting female libido due to its similar appearance to the female reproductive organ. Using its extract have also shown its ability to reduce intensity of behavior caused by serotonin and acetylcholine.
Aside from its ayurvedic uses, it is also a popular natural food coloring and is recently used in color drinks because of it being a pH indicator which results to it turning pink when mixed with a carbonated mixer such as tonic water. One other notable use for this flower is for dyeing natural fibers.
How to make the Tea
Personally, I like to use fresh butterfly pea flower when they are in season but also resort to dried flowers when they are not. My general rule in making this tea is to use at least 3 flowers and steep in hot water for 5 minutes and sweeten the tea using honey or stevia.
You can also step it up by boiling the dried flower together with lemongrass for 5 to 10 minutes and sweeten it with whatever you like.
Aside from this you can also add lemon juice and ice to make a refreshing drink if you are not used to tea flavor but want to try this tea for its’ benefits.
Benefits of Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
The tea is rich in antioxidants, which improves skin health. Antioxidants protect the body against free radical action. Free radicals are harmful substances which can damage healthy cells in the body. Drinking a cup of blue tea once or twice a week on an empty stomach flushes out toxins accumulated in the system and vastly improves digestive health.
Butterfly Pea Flowers are also rich in anthocyanins, which further help to build and restore the skin’s collagen. Anthocyanins are water-soluble compounds that occur naturally in certain pigmented blue, red, purple, and black foods and flowers.
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