Blue Tea – Benefits & Recipe

Blue Tea or Blue Butterfly Tea is made using Blue Butterfly Pea Flowers. Butterfly Pea Flower Tea has the most beautiful and unusual blue color which changes color from a deep blue to purple-pink when you add lemon or lime juice. This magical blue tea can be enjoyed either hot or cold. You can also add wildflower honey to sweeten this delicious and refreshing tea drink.

What is Blue Tea?

It is a herbal tea which can be made easily (read below for an exciting recipe) like the usual chai or green tea by just replacing the tea leaves or green tea with Butterfly Pea Flowers that are commonly known as “Shankhpushpi” in Indian Ayurveda.

What are Butterfly Pea Flowers?

Butterfly Pea Flower or simply Blue Pea Flower grows abundantly in South-Asian countries. This is scientifically known as “Clitoria Ternatea” owing to its appearance. Most people import these flowers but they also grow in India abundantly, not recognised much. We are working with a farmer family based in the outskirts of West Bengal to source our butterfly pea flowers & bring them to you.

Butterfly Pea Tea Benefits

• Butterfly Pea Flowers are very rich in antioxidants and plant based flavonoids which makes it a great healthy beverage to include in your diet.
• The earthy flavor of butterfly-pea flower tea is said to be a mood enhancer. The tea is said to have stress busting effects that may also help reduce symptoms of anxiety. It is also known to refresh the brain and helps keep you energized and happy throughout the day.
• The flavonoids present in blue tea may also stimulate collagen production, helping develop and maintain skin elasticity.
• These blue flowers are also well known for their diuretic properties and help flush out excess water from the body.

Color changing property of Blue Pea Flowers..

Butterfly Pea Flowers tend to change their color based on the substance to which they are added. The color ranges from different shades of blue to purple depending on the pH level or acidity of the liquid.
When using them in drinks, face masks or as food colors, you can experiment with different base every time to have a unique shade of color (described for tea in the recipe below!)

Herbal Blue Tea recipe!

• Boil some water for 2-3 minutes and pour in a cup
• Steep 2-3 dried butterfly pea flowers in this water and let them infuse for 5 minutes (don’t forget to enjoy seeing how water turns blue while they infuse!)
• Add some raw honey/sugar/jaggery as per taste
• You can experiment this recipe along with your favorite chai masalas like Cardamom, Cinnamon, Ginger, Fennel or any other condiments that you may like! The more you experiment the more you’ll fall in love with these wonderful flowers..
• Add few drops of lemon juice in the tea and see the color to change from blue to a magical purple! Lemon will also add a refreshing flavor
• Most important step – enjoy this herbal blue tea and share your experience with us!

Blue Pea lemonade recipe- Blue Summer Cooler

You can add some blue pea flowers to hot water, let it come to room temperature and cool, add some honey/sugar as per taste, pinch of salt, black pepper and some mint leaves. Add few drops of lemon juice to this lemonade and your purple mock-tail is ready! This is a perfect cooler for summers with a zero caffeine content and high antioxidant value.

So give your green tea a break and try this blue tea! We’re sure you’ll have lots of exciting experiences to discuss..

Try this Blue Pea Tea that is grown in India: Butterfly Pea Flowers for Herbal Blue Tea from a Bengal village, 10g

Pictures by: The Brown Table for Homegrown Platter