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BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER

The Pea Flower for Making Blue Tea and Herbal Tea

• Clitoria ternatea 
• Novel food

 

Butterfly Pea Flower

The butterfly pea flower, botanical name Clitoria ternatea (hence the name clitoria ternatea tea given to the infusion of this plant) is a flower with an intense blue color originating from the Southeast Asian region. The plant, very unique, belongs to the Leguminosae family, therefore legumes. The most well-known species comes from Indonesia, from the island of Ternate, where this product is a traditional element. The butterfly pea flower is dried to be used in infusion as a herbal tea or base infusion for the preparation of various recipes: in Italian, it is often known as "blue pea" and "cordofan pea", as the family is the same as that of pea plants, but it is also referred to in articles and blogs as clitoria ternatea tea or butterfly pea tea, which specifically refer to the infusion obtained from it.

Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

The butterfly pea flower tea is simply the blue herbal tea obtained from the infusion of butterfly pea flowers. Although it is called 'tea', it is not actually tea, as it is not derived from the Camellia sinensis plant but from Clitoria ternatea.

The blue pea flower has become very popular recently for its ability to transform the water in which it is infused into blue herbal tea, making it a versatile ingredient to enhance the aesthetics of many dishes. This is why it is used to dye various preparations blue, from drinks to creams, to the famous 'blue matcha', which is simply a milk prepared with butterfly pea flower instead of matcha tea.

The butterfly pea flower herbal tea is highly appreciated for its blue color, but not everyone knows that the butterfly pea flower reacts with lemon, which when added to the infusion turns it purple, changing the pH of the mixture and reacting with anthocyanins, natural pigments also found in blueberries. This is why the butterfly pea flower is one of the most important natural colorants, used to prepare blue herbal teas or purple lemonades to use as a base for other recipes, drinks, and cocktails.

You can finally find butterfly pea flower for sale online at terzaluna.com!

How to Prepare Butterfly Pea Flower Tea?

The preparation of the blue butterfly pea flower herbal tea is very simple.

The Clitoria ternatea flower is odorless and almost tasteless, but it is 100% edible and can be used in the preparation of cocktails, desserts, rice, herbal teas, milk. Its chromatic characteristic and recent popularity make it a perfect ingredient for cups of blue tea and herbal teas, tasty and colorful, with a dramatic effect.

Its extraction can be done hot, and this is what has made butterfly pea flower tea so famous as a regular herbal tea.

• 4g per 200ml of water (one full tablespoon);
• Water at 100°C;
• Infuse for 10 minutes.

Preparations of Butterfly Pea Tea: Herbal Teas, Cocktails, and Much More

Flavored Water with Blue Pea Flower

We can prepare the butterfly pea flower using the cold brew or cold maceration method, leaving it to infuse in cold water. Just a few tens of minutes and the color will already be extracted.

This can be very useful for the preparation of colorful aromatic waters for our customers or guests, with the addition of other ingredients. The doses depend on the type of color we want to achieve, the more we add, the more intense the blue will be.

• 15 gr of butterfly pea flower leaves
• 1 liter of cold water
• 20-30 minutes of cold infusion

Butterfly Pea Flower: Special Cocktails and Drinks

Another method is to infuse these beautiful blue flowers directly in alcohol (we recommend gin or vodka, or white rum) leaving them to macerate for about 30 minutes.

Due to the nature of alcohol, the color of the butterfly pea flower infusion will come out directly bluish tending towards purple. If you want to give a more natural touch to your homemade cocktail, we recommend leaving the flowers to infuse. Also in this case, by adding a few drops of lemon to the mixture, we will obtain a purple color due to the change in pH.

Butterfly Pea Flower Latte or Blue Matcha

Preparations with milk and butterfly pea flower can be very interesting because we can use them throughout the coffee department, for the preparation of colorful cappuccinos, or even smoothies and salad dressings.

Thanks to its coloring power, the blue pea flower will quickly color the milk blue. In recent times, in addition to the famous green matcha latte, we often come across a blue matcha latte: well, this is not a preparation made using matcha tea, but butterfly pea flower tea. To prepare it, use milk in which the butterfly pea flower is infused.

We recommend infusing the flowers cold in the milk, to use for your incredible blue-colored bar creations.

• 15 gr of butterfly pea flower leaves
• 1 liter of milk
• 20-30 minutes of infusion

What is the Taste of Butterfly Pea Flower?

The butterfly pea flower can be used as whole fried flower, or dried and drunk in infusion like a tea. The main characteristic of the blue pea flower is the color, and the ability to color other foods, allowing you to indulge in recipes that are appetizing but above all scenic. The taste of the butterfly pea flower is indeed very delicate, sweet but herbaceous, and it resembles the taste of raw peas. For this reason, not many appreciate butterfly pea flower tea as a drink, preferring to add lemon to vary the flavor, or as a colorful base for other preparations. A very interesting use, which exploits the taste of the blue pea flower, could be to use it in a broth with a vegetable and fresh taste, which pairs well with risottos and dumplings.

Butterfly Pea Tea Flower: Properties

The butterfly pea flower is known for its atypical coloring and the uses that can be made of it to prepare blue or purple dishes. Not everyone will know that its infusion actually has very important properties: the clitoria ternatea is a plant with anti-stress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, calming, and sedative properties. In Cuban medicine, it is used as an emmenagogue to stimulate menstruation, while in Asia and India it is used to increase libido and fertility: the name Clitoria ternatea derives from clitoris, as the flower resembles it in appearance, and this resemblance is almost a "signature" as the plant also has benefits to counter vaginal infections, thanks to its emollient properties. In Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, the butterfly pea flower is used as a tonic for the nervous system, and to calm anxiety, stress, and insomnia. One of the lesser-known properties of the blue pea flower is its ability to increase brain activity, memory, and concentration, and to improve creativity: we talked about it in the article on natural remedies for memory. The butterfly pea flower is also beneficial for skin and hair, thanks to its antioxidant properties and high concentration of polyphenols and proanthocyanidins, which stimulate the production of elastin and collagen and counteract aging.

Memory Cappuccino with Butterfly Pea Flower

To enjoy the tonic and beneficial properties on memory, anxiety, and creativity associated with the butterfly pea flower, we recommend the recipe for this hot drink, a "memory cappuccino," in which we combine different beneficial herbs for concentration and memory, which will help you start your days better, improving your focus and attention. To prepare it, combine:

• 1/2 teaspoon of Butterfly Pea
• 1/2 teaspoon of Ginkgo Biloba
• 1/3 teaspoon of Ginger
• 1 teaspoon of agave syrup
• 1 glass of plant-based drink (rice, soy, oat…)

Dissolve the powders and syrup in 50ml of boiling water. Add the plant-based drink, previously warmed. Finally, add 30 drops of Ginkgo Biloba mother tincture.

Butterfly Pea Flower Powder

On Terza Luna, it is now possible to also purchase the butterfly pea flower powder, ideal to use as a natural colorant to easily transform the color of creams, cocktails, drinks, or even food into a bright blue. Just mix it with your ingredient, or dissolve it in hot water: you won't have to worry about creating an infusion and filtering it: the powdered butterfly pea flower is ready to be used to color doughs, pastes, sweets, and creams.

Buy Butterfly Pea Flower Online at Terzaluna.com

Many of you have recently asked us where to buy the butterfly pea flower for the preparation of your blue teas and herbal teas or for drinks and much more. We couldn't resist, and after weeks of research, we found an excellent variety of blue pea flower, now available for online purchase on our tea, herbal teas, and spices shop.

Prices and Sizes

The butterfly pea flower is available in flowers or powder in the following sizes:

• 25 gr – 7.90 euros
• 50 gr – 14.90 euros
• 100 gr – 26.90 euros (Save 4.70 euros)
• 250 gr – 58.90 euros