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Friday, April 27, 2018

Butterfly Pea Tea

When we were little, my late grandma loved to amuse us with this "magic trick". She would  squeeze lime juice into a tall jug of blue liquid and voila! It magically turned purple!
Afterwards, she would serve us the concoction and we would happily gulp it down, believing that it was some kind of magic potion!

I didn't know then that the 'magic potion' was actually tea made from an infusion of the Butterfly Pea flower. I had long forgotten about this purple limenade until a recent visit to Cousin R who was back for a holiday from Ohio. She was picking the blue flowers in her mom's garden when we  dropped in. She was going to dry the flowers and bring them back to the States. According to her, Butterfly Pea beverages have started to hit American shelves and people just can't get enough of it!

Photos like the ones below are popping up on Pinterest and Instagram.

Aren't these pretty! Don't they just scream SUMMER?!
image source - https://www.instagram.com/p/BZOMr1uFS51/?taken-by=bluechaitea
So fun to serve at parties
image source - https://www.theflavorbender.com/galaxy-color-changing-lemonade-slushie/
Beautiful, refreshing and loaded with health promoting antioxidants, flavonoids and peptides. What's not to love?
image source -  https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf3malynzRT/
The Butterfly Pea flower
image source -  https://drhealthbenefits.com
Clitoria ternatea aka Butterfly Pea. This genus was thus named because of its resemblance to a certain vital lady part!
Known as Bunga Telang in Malay, this vine is easy to grow and commonly seen creeping on fences in most Malaysian backyards all year round.
The Malays and Peranakan use the Butterfly Pea as a natural blue dye for cakes, rice and dumplings.
image source -  http://sekkito.com
So what was the magic behind Grandma's color changing limenade? Ha! That was no sorcery!
The 'magic' (science!) lies in the deep blue petals of the Butterfly Pea flower. Once steeped, the liquid changes colour based on the pH level. So adding an acid like lime juice is what causes it to turn bright purple, or violet.



A beautiful drink to make


5 Reasons why you should drink this tea

1.  It is rich in anti-oxidants
2.  It has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties
3.  It boosts collagen production, increasing skin elasticity. SOLD!
4.  It improves vision as the anthocyanins promote blood circulation helping the eyes to adjust to changes in light conditions. Also, it could be an excellent preventive aid for cataracts, retinal damage, and eye infections.
5.  It promotes healthy and luscious hair growth

I like my Butterfly Pea tea warm with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of honey.
Butterfly Pea Lemonade - Naturally purple and refreshing
Ingredients
A glass of hot water
6 butterfly pea flowers
Ice if you like it cold
Honey or sugar to taste
A slice of lemon

Directions
Drop the Butterfly Pea flowers into a glass of hot water. Steep for a few minutes until the water turns blue. Add the sugar or honey, followed by a squeeze of lemonade. Add ice and stir.


Have you tried Butterfly Pea beverages? What do you think?

33 comments:

  1. Yes it does scream summer. Love this.

    Have a fabulous day and weekend. ♥

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  2. I haven't heard of Butterfly Pea beverages or tried them. I'll have to see if I can find them here because they do look so fascinating; love how the color changes! Certainly does seem to be very refreshing on a hot summer day!

    betty

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  3. COOL! I have not seen this yet here in the States, but will keep an eye out for it. I LOVE the color!

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  4. Oh that looks so pretty!

    http://www.henatayeb.blogspot.com

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  5. OMG! This brings back so many memories for me from when I was a child. We lived in Singapore in the mid 60s, and I remember drinking something like this way back when. I must ask my sister! Thanks for sharing.

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  6. How pretty I want some heheh!

    Have a colourfultastic week :-)

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  7. I love the colorful drinks. Yummy! I like both tea and coffee, but try not to drink both all the time. I just go through times where I drink coffee, and other times where I drink tea.

    Kool-Aid is actually made right here in Nebraska where I live. I hate that stuff!

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  8. Well, I can say they're my favorite colors. Tea would be my favorite for sure. Bigger the variety the better i say! Your post looks very pretty too! ~hehehe~ Have a great week!

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  9. Veronica,

    What a beautiful, festive summertime beverage! I have not had this kind of tea before nor have I heard of it before now. I wouldn't mind trying it. :)

    ~Curious as a Cathy
    Sevier Country Courthouse National Pride #WW

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  10. They do look fun but I have never seen or heard of them before. I wonder if they have a taste

    Mollyx

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  11. Veronica, I've seen these flowers but I've never heard of anyone making a beverage out of them! What a beautiful drink for summer parties -- and with no artificial coloring (something I avoid).

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  12. Wow, I have never heard of this but looks so pretty X #bloggersbest

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  13. It looks like the perfect sunshine drink for me. I can’t wait for the summer to hit now. Thank you for sharing 🌟 #BloggerClubUK

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  14. What an amazing colour - just had to find out more. I need to try this!

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  15. My favorite color indeed! Have seen this flower in many places but never used it in food and beverages!

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  16. I had never heard of butterfly pea tea before, but now I want to try it. It's so pretty!

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  17. These are lovely. I want to try them all now :) Thanks for linking up to The Wednesday Blog Hop. Hope you can join me tomorrow for the weekend blog hop.

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  18. I just had to click on this post, what a lovely memory to have and what an amazing drink

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  19. What a great colored tea! Looks very good. #thatfridaylinky

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  20. Oh wow!! Look at those colours! What a beautiful way to decorate a table. And of course, my girls would love it!! I've never heard of this before! #globalblogging

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  21. I wonder how easy the ingredients are to come by here in the UK. It looks wonderful and I can understand it being magical in appearance.#GlobalBlogging

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  22. wow, that drink looks amazing. I love the purple :) Thanks for sharing and linking up with us #FabFridayPost

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  23. I've never heard or seen blue tea, but I love the idea. It's beautiful. I'll purchasing, and serving for a little summer fun. Thanks for sharing on Sunday's Best.

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  24. Wow! I've never heard of Butterfly Pea tea. I love the purple (my favorite color) and would love to try it.

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  25. The color really makes a statement on a table! #kcacols

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  26. I've never heard or this drink before, I love the idea of the magic potion trick with the lime. #KCACOLS

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  27. Like alot of people who have commented, I have never heard of this before. I loved the video showing the change to the colour when you add the lemon, its so cool. Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next time. Mainy

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  28. I'd be interested to try and yes, I can see where the name came from... much prefer Butterly Pea! #kcacols

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  29. Oh my days how beautiful! I want to get my hands on some now because everything is PURPLE! Just purple food. Yes. I need it! #KCACOLS

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