A tea that looks like windex and smells like vegetables… why in the world are people going crazy over butterfly pea flower tea!?
Butterfly pea flower tea has been the talk of the town for its shocking blue colour once steeped. But as it turns out, the colour isn’t the only shocking factor about this tea!
There are tons of benefits of butterfly pea flower as well. But, doesn that mean it’s safe for everyone to drink?
Here’s an overview of everything you need to know about butterfly pea flower tea, from the benefits and risks, to ultimately how to drink this colourful elixir!
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What Is Butterfly Pea Flower (A.K.A. Clitoria Ternatea)?
Butterfly pea flower comes from the Clitoria Ternatea plant (and yes it was named for resembling the female anatomy…).
The plant is native to Southeast Asia, and more specifically the Indonesian Island of Ternate, hence the second part of the name!
Butterfly pea flower has a few other names though. It can also be referred to as Asian pigeon wings (for its appearance when in full bloom), bluebell vine, blue pea, cordovan pea, or Darwin pea. You can see the full list of names here.
What Can Butterfly Pea Flower Be Used For?
Butterfly pea flower can be used for a lot more than steeping tea.
For starters, it’s an edible flower that can also be used in cooking. But it’s also used to make a natural dye (for obvious reasons!).
More surprisingly though, it’s been used for its benefits in agriculture and medicine. In agriculture, it’s become somewhat of an eco-friendly insecticide. Read more about the benefits in agriculture here.
Continue reading to find out the benefits of butterfly pea flower for us!
What Is Butterfly Pea Flower Tea?
Butterfly pea flower tea is made from steeping dried petals from the butterfly pea flower. It’s also known as blue tea for the blue hue that is steeps. This is an herbal tea and contains no caffeine.
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Why Is Butterfly Pea Flower Tea So Special?
The main perk of butterfly pea flower tea is the colour of the tea it brews. It starts as this beautiful indigo blue hue – similar to windex, or gatorade. I mean, who wouldn’t want to enjoy a blue drink like this? Everyone knows that blue gatorade is the best gatorade…
But the best part comes after it’s steeped… you can perform a magic trick right in front of your eyes!
Add lemon juice and watch your tea transform into a rich purple hue!
Butterfly pea flower clearly got the memo that presentation counts! I bet you’ve never enjoyed a better looking tea before, have you??
P.S. The Best Way To Enjoy Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Is With A Glass Mug To See The Colour!
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Why Does Butterfly Pea Flower Change Colours?
But why does butterfly pea flower tea change from blue to purple when you add lemon?
It has to do with the fact the this tea is an acid-based indicator. Butterfly pea flower tea is Ph neutral – meaning it has a Ph level of exactly 7, which is symbolized by the blue colour.
When you add an acid, such as lemon juice (or anything below Ph-7), it changes the Ph level, and therefore the colour.
You can do a science experiment with this tea… literally.
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You can also have the tea change colour to a yellow/green by adding baking soda (which is a base, with a Ph level above 7). Although it won’t taste very good, it’s still fun to see!
You can read more about the science behind butterfly pea flower tea here.
But it’s not even just a colour. That rich colour provides butterfly pea flower tea with some pretty impressive health benefits too…
Benefits Of Butterfly Pea Flower For Our Health
There are some shocking benefits of butterfly pea flower that you might not expect. The benefits are so impressive that butterfly pea flower can actually be seen as a superfood! In fact, there are so many benefits, that it can become quite overwhelming.
It’s actually not a huge surprise that this flower is so powerful. There’s a known link between colourful foods and health benefits (think of orange carrots, or any green vegetable). It turns out, blue is no exception to this rule.
Blue = Anthocyanin: A Powerful Antioxidant
The blue colour of butterfly pea flower comes from anthocyanin, which is a powerful antioxidant.
Anthocyanin is also responsible for purple and red pigments so it can also be found in raspberries, cherries, and more. But, butterfly pea flower has one of the highest amounts of anthocyanin.
The type of anthocyanin found in butterfly pea flower is known as ternatins. It’s known to have anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties.
Notable Anti-Aging Benefits
One of the main reasons why people are going crazy over butterfly pea flower is for it’s anti-aging properties on our brain and skin.
Butterfly Pea Flower & Brain Health
It can have a great effect on your brain, relieving stress and even act as a mood enhancer.
On a study done on rats, it was also seen to improve their memory retention over a 30 day period.
Butterfly Pea Flower And Skin & Hair Health
Butterfly pea flower can also benefit your skin and hair health. For your skin, it can prevent skin imperfections and improve your overall skin appearance.
One study used butterfly pea flower extract in face masks and found it helped with water retention, redness, itching, and skin irritations. Another study found that it could be useful in healing skin wounds.
Butterfly pea flower has also been seen to promote hair growth, you can read more about that study here.
Take Everything With a Grain of Salt…
There’s actually quite a bit of research on butterfly pea flower – in fact there are studies dating back to the 1950s!
But, what’s even more surprising is that discoveries are still being made today! As it turns out, this plant is so complex that there are many parts of it that are really good for us, while others should be avoided completely.
It’s so important to note that most of these studies don’t use the plant in the form of tea, or whose subjects are humans. Some are conducted in the labs alone in test tubes, or on rats.
More studies are needed to know for sure the side effects of butterfly pea flower tea.
It can also affect everyone differently – especially based on the medications you may be taking. It is still an herbal tea after all and can interact with medications. So it’s also important to always consult your physician first.
Butterfly Pea Flower Risks – Is It Poisonous?
Funny, enough, the butterfly pea flower is actually kind of poisonous! But don’t worry not the part that you’re drinking. Remember I said that it can be used as an eco-friendly insecticide for your garden? Well that should say a lot about this plant…
The flower itself isn’t used as the insecticide though. The parts that can be poisonous are the seeds, pods, and roots of the butterfly pea flower. The negative side effects include diarrhea, nausea, and diuresis.
In fact, it’s illegal to consume any part of this plant in Taiwan as of May 2019. This isn’t a permanent ban, it’s just until the FDA can run all the necessary tests to prove safe consumption. I guess Taiwan figured to err on the side of caution and just ban the entire flower.
Read more about the ban in Taiwan here.
Avoid Butterfly Pea Flower If You’re Pregnant Or Taking Any Medications
As I mentioned, butterfly pea flower is an herbal tea and can interact with medications.
It’s also advised to stay away from drinking butterfly pea flower tea if you’re pregnant. This is the case with most herbal teas, and butterfly pea flower is no exception.
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How To Drink Butterfly Pea Flower
I don’t know about you, but I don’t exactly love the taste of butterfly pea flower on it’s own.
To me, butterfly pea flower tastes like vegetables… specifically broccoli. The taste is very underwhelming compared to the bold blue colour it brews.
So, how can you drink this tea and actually enjoy it?
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First, How Often Can You Drink Butterfly Pea Flower?
If this is your first time drinking butterfly pea flower tea, start with a small amount and see if you have any negative side effects.
But everything in moderation I always say! So try not to overdo it!
Butterfly Pea Flower Tea Recipes
To make a simple cup of butterfly pea flower tea, you’ll add 1 tsp of dried flowers to 1 cup of hot water (around 205 degree).
Let it steep for 4-6 minutes covered so it’s still hot by the time you can drink it).
Then enjoy!
Add Lemon To Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
Of course, adding lemon will drastically change not only the colour of your tea, but the flavour as well (for the better might I add!).
You don’t even have to add that much, a quarter of a lemon will do the trick. Add more if you want more lemon taste though!
You can also use lemon juice if you don’t have a fresh lemon, I put about 1 tsp in one mug of tea.
Mint & Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
If lemon isn’t for you, no problem. I also really like mixing different herbal teas with butterfly pea flower, like mint tea leaves.
I find the flavours have a nice balance and instead of tasting like vegetables, it’s mint with an undertone of butterfly pea flower.
I add half butterfly pea flower leaves and half mint tea (usually one tsp of each for 1 cup of water).
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Butterfly Pea Flower Cocktail
You can even make a butterfly pea flower cocktail on ice for a refreshing summer drink. I mix it with limoncello and vodka for a sweet iced tea cocktail.
I add 3 tsp of butterfly pea flower, 1/2 shot vodka, 1 shot of limoncello, a few drops of lemon juice and mix it with ice.
Make sure to steep the butterfly pea flower in a 1/2 cup of hot water before adding the ice and the rest of your ingredients.
Where To Buy Butterfly Pea Flower
Now the question is – where can you buy butterfly pea flower petals to make tea?
The good news is that with it’s newfound popularity, you can pretty much find it almost anywhere.
I’ve seen it at my local grocery stores. But you can also just order it online and never even leave your house!
They have it on Amazon here (in Canada here). I bought mine online from Tealyra here.
- 🌱TRADITIONAL HERBAL SUPPLEMENT ::: Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers Tea Has Been Used For Centuries in Asia For Its Calming & Soothing Effects. USDA Organic Butterfly Pea Herbaly Tea Loose Herbal Tea With Nutritious Benefits.
- 🌱PACKED WITH NUTRIENTS ::: Incas Butterfly Pea Tea Flowers Organic Are Packed with Antioxidants That Contribute to Better Health.
Some other online tea stores also sell it as well, like Adagio teas here, or DavidsTea (it’s a blend and they call it Magic Potion Tea), see it here.
Like I said, to truly enjoy all the benefits of butterfly pea flower tea, you absolutely need a double walled glass mug to appreciate the true blue colour! Find one on Amazon here (Amazon.ca here!).
My Butterfly Pea Flower Amazon Must-Haves
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Last update on 2024-04-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API