Description

The butterfly blue pea flowers are infused in hot water to give this rich, bright-colored, floral-smelling blue tea. So it’s actually a Tisane; a herbal concoction made from the infusion of leaves or herbs.

What sets this bright-colored beverage apart is its mesmerizing color and its extraordinary ability to change color, like a mood ring, with a change in PH.

Just adding a few drops of lemon juice transforms the blue-colored blue tea into the most magnificent purple color. Mix in a few hibiscus leaves and you end up with a gorgeous red tea.

Originating from South East Asia, blue tea, unlike other teas isn’t derived from the Camellia Sinensis (tea plant).

As mentioned, instead, blue tea is derived from the Clitoria ternatea plant, also referred to as the butterfly-blue pea, blue-pea, or Asian pigeon wings. The shape of the flowers of Clitoria ternatea was believed to resemble female human genitals, hence the name “Clitoria” from “Clitoris”.

Blue tea is made from a combination of dried butterfly pea flowers and lemongrass. The earthy flavored Blue tea, mixed with lemon and honey, is commonly enjoyed post-dinner, in spas, or as a refreshment in Thailand and Vietnam.

This drink, known as the ‘Nam Dok Anchan’ tea is often flavored with mint, cinnamon, ginger, and passion fruit, and is enjoyed both hot and cold.

The Malaysians use blue tea plant to make their popular dish, Nasi Kerabu. Nasi Kerabu is a Malay rice dish in which blue-colored rice is eaten with fried fish or chicken, salad, pickles, and crackers.

The Malaysians also use blue tea plants for preparing their traditional dessert – kuih or kueh. Most popularly though, it is used to create a “mood ring” cocktail; ice cubes of blue tea are added to this cocktail, which then changes color from bright blue to a vivid purple as the ice cubes dissolve.