Did you know that there are very few true blue things in nature that are edible? Most blue foods are actually varying shades of purple. But the amazing butterfly pea flowers make a tea that is literally, really, truly, blue. The blue color comes from a special type of bioflavonoid pigment that is not only an outrageously blue color, it actually has health benefits as well. These bioflavonoid pigments support your health in three important ways: they are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic.
Butterfly blue pea flowers come from Thailand, where the tea is consumed for relaxation, relief of anxiousness, mental focus, and to promote healthy skin and hair.
There is one downside, however: the flavor of butterfly blue pea flower tea without any other ingredients is a bit disappointing. The flavor is rather like the water in which green beans have been boiled. You can completely uplift the flavor of this earthy tea by adding lemongrass, which is the perfect match for butterfly pea flowers. Lemongrass doesn't interfere with the beautiful blue color of the tea, and it adds a lemony flavor. A tea made with a blend of butterfly pea flower and lemongrass is smooth, mellow, soothing, and relaxing.
Here Are Five Reasons To Try Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
1. You Get Some Awesome Health Benefits
Because of my background in herbal healing, I always want to know about what kind of health benefits you're going to get from herbs and teas, and butterfly pea flower does not disappoint. Here are some of the benefits you get from drinking butterfly pea tea:
- It's relaxing
- It contains antioxidants that fight aging and disease
- The antioxidants help your skin stay youthful and elastic
- Research has shown that it may improve mental focus and concentration
- The dark blue pigments support the health of your eyes
- The tea is used to relieve inflammation and mild pain
- It may help with supporting healthy blood sugar
2. You Can Make Beautiful And Creative Beverages
It's easy to make beautiful tea with butterfly pea flowers. You can make a simple blend of equal amounts of butterfly pea flower and lemongrass, or you can get fancy and add a few more goodies in there for fun and flavor. Besides lemongrass, here are a few other ingredients to blend in:
- Hibiscus, which will blend with the blue to create a rich magenta tea with a yummy tart flavor
- Chamomile, to enhance the relaxing power of the butterfly pea tea
- Lavender, another relaxing herb, which adds a dreamy quality to the pea flowers and lemongrass
- Rose petals add soft floral notes
- Dried berries, especially blueberries
- Rosehips adds sweetness and a whole bunch of vitamin C
Here is a demo of a lovely color-changing tea recipe made with four simple ingredients
Blue lemonade is another fun way to enjoy this tea. Make a simple syrup by combining 1 cup of granulated sugar with 1 cup hot butterfly blue pea tea, and stir until dissolved. Fill a tall glass with ice, and add 1/2 glass of the butterfly pea flower simple syrup. Blend 2 parts water with one part lemon juice, stir well, and fill the rest of the glass with the lemon mixture. Stir and enjoy!
3. You Can Make A Yummy Blue Tea Latte
4. Make Blue Tea Ice Cubes
Simply adding ice to your tea just waters down the flavor, so avoid drinking weak tea by making tea ice cubes! In this case, butterfly pea tea ice cubes, which will add all the health benefits plus that beautiful blue color to your favorite cold beverages. Add these tea ice cubes to tea, smoothies, or lemonade.
Watch the demo, then head to the kitchen and go make some beautiful tea ice cubes.
5. Include Butterfly Blue Pea Tea In Your Skin Care Routine
The antioxidants in butterfly blue pea flower promote healthy skin by naturally supporting collagen and skin elasticity. You get these benefits by drinking tea, but you can also nourish, hydrate, and rejuvenate your skin by using butterfly pea tea directly on your skin. (Note: for application on the skin, don't bother blending it with lemongrass, just use it straight.) Simply brew a strong cup of butterfly pea tea, let it cool, and now it's ready to use on your face. Here are two ways to apply it:
- Put the tea in a glass bottle with a mist top, and spritz your skin after you get out of the shower. You don't need to rinse it off. Store this tea in the fridge, and discard any unused tea after 3 days.
- Make a purifying clay masque by placing a teaspoon of French green clay into a small bowl, and stirring in teaspoon of butterfly pea tea. Stir well until it's a smooth paste, the consistency of toothpaste. Add more tea as needed. Apply this paste to your face and leave on for ten minutes. Rinse off with cool water.
You can buy butterfly pea flowers by clicking right here
You can buy organic lemongrass by clicking right here
Have fun and happy sipping!