Blue tea

There are hundreds of varieties of caffeine free herbal teas are available in the market and people also grow herbs to prepare tea at home. There are many herbs whose flowers are used for making tea like hibiscus, lavender, chamomile teas. The blue tea is also made of steeping dried flowers of a plant that belongs to the bean family.

Blue tea is not new, it has been around for centuries. Blue tea made of Butterfly Pea Plant flowers. The blue color in Clitoria ternatea steeps into the water to impart a very pleasant blue color. The popularity of these beautiful flowers increasing because the natural color can be introduced even to juice and extracted dye can be used for other culinary purposes.

Butterfly pea plant belongs to Fabaceae and grows in tropical countries. Growing butterfly flower plant is also easy, it produces beautiful and very attractive blue flowers. It is a climber and needs some support. One can grow the plant in a pot as well as directly in the soil.

What is in blue flowers that make it healthy to consume? It contains catechin EGCG- epigallocatechin gallate, flavonoids, polyphenols, tannins – all these compounds are anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting components for the human body.

Blue tea has many health benefits:

1. Blue tea is helpful for digestion.
2. It is recommended for weight loss particularly water weight. It is a diuretic drink that has natural ingredients. It contains catechins that increase metabolism and burns fat.
3. It contains antioxidants and helps in the detoxifying process.
4. It is a mood enhancer and reduces anxiety and sadness
5. Helps to refresh the brain and keeps it energized
6. This tea is good for diabetic conditions as it helps to regulate blood sugar levels. It means it is good for the liver.
7. Blue tea reduces triglyceride and lowers LDL cholesterol while raising good, HDL cholesterol. It is good for cardiovascular health.
8. Some people drink blue tea to improve vision- the presence of proanthocyanins complexes in blue tea makes it a nutritive food for enhancing clear vision.
9. Blue tea is known to promote hair and skin health.
10. It provides anti-aging benefits and helps to rejuvenate cells.
11. The tea contains flavonoids that stimulate collagen production in the body and takes care of skin health.
12. Blue tea contains anthocyanin pigment that helps the scalp and strengthens hair follicles.

How to prepare Blue tea and Blue juice?

Blue tea preparation:

The process is very simple.

1. You can use fresh or dry Butterfly flowers.
2. Collect and sundry Butterfly flowers. Store in an airtight container.
3. When you want to prepare tea, boil water, and add a few dried flowers, turn off the heat and let it steep for five minutes.
4. If you are using fresh flowers, wash flowers in running water, take the petals and add them to boiling water. Turn off the heat, let petals steep for few minutes. Strain and drink hot tea with honey or cinnamon- your choice.
5. Strain steeped flowers and transfer hot tea to a teacup and drink with honey or a pinch of cinnamon.

Blue juice preparation:

You can use fresh or dry flowers.

• Take drinking water, add dry butterfly flowers. Let it sit for some time. You will see the color releasing to water. Remove the flowers and add lemon juice to it. The color of the water turns from blue to purple-blue. Add sugar, cardamom powder, a pinch of salt, little ginger juice. Mix well and drink.
• You can also add blue flowers in coconut water. Leave few flowers in coconut water, allow color to release. Add pieces of fresh coconut in the juice to make it taste better!
• You can use fresh flower petals also for blue juice and follow the same procedure as mentioned above for using dry flowers to prepare blue juice.

Even though there are no known side effects, drinking blue tea or juice might cause nausea or diarrhea. Lactating or pregnant women should not drink blue tea or juice as a health precaution.

Blue tea is available in the market or one can grow the plants at home and collect the flowers to make tea. 

Image credits: Butterflly pea flowerhttps://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-iyoct (Free for commercial use)

Blue juice: Pinterest images

Blue tea: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Butterfly-pea_flower_tea_2.jpg : Attribution: Mx. Granger, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons