Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Tea: Benefits & Recipes !

Blue butterfly pea tea made from the flowers of Clitoria ternatea is an amazing drink that has wonderful health benefits and medicinal uses. This blue butterfly pea tea is also called Anchan Tea, Color Changing Tea, Clitoria Tea, Thai Blue Tea, Blue Tea, Blue Chai (India) and Aparajita Tea in different parts of the world.

What Is Blue Butterfly Pea Tea?

Blue Butterfly Pea Plant:

The botanical name of blue butterfly pea plant is Clitoria Ternatea. The plant is a climber and it belongs to the family Fabacea and genus Clitoria. This plant has been used in Ayurveda for many years for treating many neurological problems like depression, anxiety and for improving memory. All parts of the plant including the leaves, seeds, roots and flowers have medicinal properties.

Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Tea:

When I wrote about butterfly pea plant a few weeks back, I had mentioned about the butterfly pea tea in the post. One of my friends asked me to write in detail about butterfly pea tea so I thought I will give step by step instructions for making this wonderful tea (with 3 variations) along with the health benefits.

The tea made with it not only looks beautiful (it has got a vivid blue color) but it is full of antioxidants too. Though you can make the tea with fresh flowers each time, I would suggest drying the flowers during summer time so you can use it year around. To dry, collect the flowers and spread it on a plate, cover with a thin mesh and sun dry till crisp and store. Now you can make antioxidant tea all year round. In our farm, butterfly pea flowers grow in abundance so I collect it everyday till I have enough flowers, dry them and store for future use.

This tea is very easy to make and can be served as a refreshing drink and I have to add, it looks stunningly beautiful if served in transparent glasses. Another beautiful thing about this tea is when we add lemon juice to the tea, the color changes! This is the reason the tea is also called color changing tea. Though it sounds childish, I love to watch the color of the tea change from purple to beautiful pink color after adding lemon juice to it, a must try tea in my humble opinion.

Blue Butterfly Pea Tea Taste:

Blue butterfly pea tea has a very subtle earthy taste. I make the blue butterfly pea tea with both fresh and dried flowers. Butterfly pea tea is so refreshing but has a very very subtle taste, we can only taste the lemon and honey in the tea mostly.

Nutrients:

Blue Butterfly Pea Tea Health Benefits:

When you drink blue butterfly pea tea, you will feel energised due to it’s high antioxidant content and it is a good remedy for fatigue. Since we have this plant at home, I like to have a cup of this tea in midmorning to relieve fatigue especially if I am doing heavy work. This tea is a good remedy for stomach ulcer and it has a soothing effect on our stomach. Since it helps lower blood sugar levels, it is good for diabetic patients.

It helps treat respiratory problems like asthma, cold and cough and a warm cup of this tea when you are suffering from cold is like heaven! This tea also helps relieve stress, depression and anxiety, if you are feeling stressed or not able to sleep, try a cup of this tea before bed, it will help. This tea is also good for hair and skin and if you are suffering from any kind of skin inflammation, please consume this tea for a few days.

Where To Buy Blue Butterfly Pea Tea?

Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Powder & Extract:

Blue butterfly pea flower powder got by grinding the dried flowers is also sold online. It can be used for both making the blue butterfly tea and also as a natural coloring for dishes. It is popularly used to make blue colored rice.

We also get butterfly pea extract, which is nothing but sugar, butterfly pea flowers and water boiled together to make a syrup. You can add little bit of the syrup to water along with lemon juice to make instant blue butterfly pea tea.

How To Grow Blue Pea Flower At Home?

If you plan on having butterfly pea tea regularly, I would suggest growing your own butterfly pea plant at home. You can easily buy young butterfly pea plants in most nurseries cheaply in India and plant them in your garden.

It can survive in almost all types of soil but needs good drainage. You can also grow them from the seeds too. To plant butterfly pea seeds, soak butterfly pea seeds overnight in water and plant them in small pots next day and water regularly. The seeds will germinate in 2 to 3 weeks time.

Blue Butterfly Pea Tea Side Effects:

This tea has fewer side effects, in fact I couldn’t find any side effects at all and it also has been clinically proven to have very very low toxicity even when taken in large quantities. Though it is safe for consumption, I couldn’t find any study proving that it is safe for pregnant and breast feeding women so for them I would suggest to practice caution. If you do consume, do it only in moderation.

3 Best Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Recipes:

1. Basic Blue Tea:

Collect fresh flowers, wash and spread them on a plate and sun dry till crisp covered with a net. To make the tea, boil water and pour the boiling water over the dried flowers, steep till the color of the water changes to blue color. Strain and add honey to taste. Your beautiful blue tea is ready, pour into a serving glass. You can also make the tea with fresh flowers too.

2.  With Lemongrass:

Follow the same recipe but take a small piece of lemon grass, pound and then add to the dried flowers before pouring the boiling hot water. This tea is so aromatic and wonderful!

3. Color Changing Butterfly Pea Tea:

Follow the same recipe as before. Now for the magic part, add few drops of lemon and see the color change to beautiful purplish pink. If you add more of lemon juice it will turn fully pink.

NOTES:

• You can use either use fresh or dried flowers.
• This tea is full of antioxidants and has been proven through clinical research.
• Add lemon juice according to your taste, the color change will depend on the amount of lemon juice.
• If you have irritable bowel syndrome, drink it plain like given in the first recipe.