Blue tea is so much more than a colored tea. Also known as butterfly pea flower tea, blue tea is a beautiful color-changing tea that can be purple, fuschia or blue depending on how you brew it. The tea offers a mildly floral and sweet flavor that makes it more than just a beautiful concoction — it’s also delicious. Discover the beauty of tea with blue tea and learn more about its health benefits and how to brew it vibrantly right here.

Want to make your own color-changing tea today? Check out our Butterfly Pea Flower Tea right here.

What Is Blue Tea?

Blue tea is also known as butterfly pea flower tea or Asian pigeonwings. The tea hails from Thailand where it is known as nam dok anchan. This tea is made from the purple flower petals of the Clitoria ternatea plant. Since it's not made from the tea plant — like green tea, oolong tea, and black tea — it is considered an herbal tisane rather than a true tea.

As an herbal tea, butterfly pea tea is naturally caffeine-free. What makes it so intriguing is that blue tea changes color when acidic or basic elements are added to the mix. When the leaves are infused in hot water, they infuse a rich blue hue. A slice of lemon or a dash of lemon juice will cause the tea to change color from a deep blue color to vibrant purple. Brewing the blue pea flower tea with hibiscus petals causes it to turn a fiery fuchsia color.

The color changes because of the presence of compounds like anthocyanins in the butterfly pea tea. Anthocyanins add a red or orange hue to teas. They're also one of the reasons why leaves change colors so vividly in the fall.

Health Benefits of Blue Tea

Antioxidants

Blue tea contains a high concentration of antioxidants that are beneficial for human health. These antioxidants, including anthocyanins and flavonoids, boast anti-inflammatory properties that fight off free radicals.

Free radicals are reactive compounds that attach to healthy cells and cause deterioration in normal processes known as oxidative stress. This breakdown has been linked to a host of issues including premature aging and mental decline. Drinking blue pea tea may help to protect the body from oxidative stress and the havoc it wreaks.

Weight Loss Aid

While the Thai tea won't improve weight loss results on its own, it can help you reach your goals when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. This southeast Asian tea is a delicious alternative to bland water and sugary soft drinks that can wreak havoc on your diet. By swapping out sugar-laden drinks for this fun tea, you can save calories and prevent excess sugars from being stored as fat in your body. Reach for a cup of blue tea when you need to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Heart Health

The anti-inflammatory properties of blue tea may help to support heart health by lowering risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. A study published in Pharmaceutical Biology examined the effects of blue tea and black gram on heart health. Researchers found that the combination helped to lower cholesterol in rats (1).

In addition, blue tea may help to alleviate the risk of diabetes. Research published in the Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science found that the blue tea flowers effectively modulated blood sugar levels in rats (2).

How To Make Blue Tea

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Cup & Leaf Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
• 10 ounces water
• Lemon juice (OPTIONAL)
• 1 teaspoon Cup & Leaf Egyptian Hibiscus Petal Tea (OPTIONAL)

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a rapid boil in a temperature-controlled tea kettle or a stovetop pan.
2. Add the blue tea petals to the hot water.
3. Steep for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Serve as is or add lemon juice to turn the color purple. If you want the tea to have hints of pink and red, add a teaspoon of hibiscus leaves at the same time as the blue tea flowers.

Brew Colorful Tea With Blue Tea Flowers

This caffeine-free herbal tea is a true pleasure to drink. The blue flower tea offers a unique opportunity to enjoy a tea that is as brilliantly beautiful as it is tasty. Pour yourself a cup of tea and play with different ingredients like chamomile lemongrass, matcha, and chai to elicit new colors and flavors. The color-changing effects make it the perfect option for a tea party or simply brightening up your day. Try this mood ring tea drink today and enjoy the stunning visuals that accompany delicious flavor.

Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20673179

2. https://www.japsonline.com/admin/php/uploads/1589_pdf.pdf

Blue tea is so much more than a colored tea. Also known as butterfly pea flower tea, blue tea is a beautiful color-changing tea that can be purple, fuschia or blue depending on how you brew it. The tea offers a mildly floral and sweet flavor that makes it more than just a beautiful concoction — it’s also delicious. Discover the beauty of tea with blue tea and learn more about its health benefits and how to brew it vibrantly right here.

Want to make your own color-changing tea today? Check out our Butterfly Pea Flower Tea right here.

What Is Blue Tea?

Blue tea is also known as butterfly pea flower tea or Asian pigeonwings. The tea hails from Thailand where it is known as nam dok anchan. This tea is made from the purple flower petals of the Clitoria ternatea plant. Since it's not made from the tea plant — like green tea, oolong tea, and black tea — it is considered an herbal tisane rather than a true tea.

As an herbal tea, butterfly pea tea is naturally caffeine-free. What makes it so intriguing is that blue tea changes color when acidic or basic elements are added to the mix. When the leaves are infused in hot water, they infuse a rich blue hue. A slice of lemon or a dash of lemon juice will cause the tea to change color from a deep blue color to vibrant purple. Brewing the blue pea flower tea with hibiscus petals causes it to turn a fiery fuchsia color.

The color changes because of the presence of compounds like anthocyanins in the butterfly pea tea. Anthocyanins add a red or orange hue to teas. They're also one of the reasons why leaves change colors so vividly in the fall.

Health Benefits of Blue Tea

Antioxidants

Blue tea contains a high concentration of antioxidants that are beneficial for human health. These antioxidants, including anthocyanins and flavonoids, boast anti-inflammatory properties that fight off free radicals.

Free radicals are reactive compounds that attach to healthy cells and cause deterioration in normal processes known as oxidative stress. This breakdown has been linked to a host of issues including premature aging and mental decline. Drinking blue pea tea may help to protect the body from oxidative stress and the havoc it wreaks.

Weight Loss Aid

While the Thai tea won't improve weight loss results on its own, it can help you reach your goals when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. This southeast Asian tea is a delicious alternative to bland water and sugary soft drinks that can wreak havoc on your diet. By swapping out sugar-laden drinks for this fun tea, you can save calories and prevent excess sugars from being stored as fat in your body. Reach for a cup of blue tea when you need to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Heart Health

The anti-inflammatory properties of blue tea may help to support heart health by lowering risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. A study published in Pharmaceutical Biology examined the effects of blue tea and black gram on heart health. Researchers found that the combination helped to lower cholesterol in rats (1).

In addition, blue tea may help to alleviate the risk of diabetes. Research published in the Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science found that the blue tea flowers effectively modulated blood sugar levels in rats (2).

How To Make Blue Tea

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Cup & Leaf Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
• 10 ounces water
• Lemon juice (OPTIONAL)
• 1 teaspoon Cup & Leaf Egyptian Hibiscus Petal Tea (OPTIONAL)

Instructions:

1. Bring water to a rapid boil in a temperature-controlled tea kettle or a stovetop pan.
2. Add the blue tea petals to the hot water.
3. Steep for 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Serve as is or add lemon juice to turn the color purple. If you want the tea to have hints of pink and red, add a teaspoon of hibiscus leaves at the same time as the blue tea flowers.

Brew Colorful Tea With Blue Tea Flowers

This caffeine-free herbal tea is a true pleasure to drink. The blue flower tea offers a unique opportunity to enjoy a tea that is as brilliantly beautiful as it is tasty. Pour yourself a cup of tea and play with different ingredients like chamomile lemongrass, matcha, and chai to elicit new colors and flavors. The color-changing effects make it the perfect option for a tea party or simply brightening up your day. Try this mood ring tea drink today and enjoy the stunning visuals that accompany delicious flavor.

Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20673179

2. https://www.japsonline.com/admin/php/uploads/1589_pdf.pdf