Butterfly pea flower tea

This article is about herbal tea made from the Clitoria ternatea plant, not the Centrosema plant.

Bluechai

Butterfly-pea flower tea brewing in a pot
Alternative names	Butterfly-pea leaf tea
Type	Herbal tea
Course	Drink
Region or state	South East Asia
Cooking time
Serving temperature	Hot or cold
Main ingredients	Butterfly-pea flowers
Ingredients generally used	dried lemongrass
Variations	nam dok anchan

Bluechai or alternately Butterfly-pea flower tea is a caffeine-free herbal tea, or tisane, beverage made from a decoction or infusion of the leaves of the Clitoria ternatea plant and dried Lemongrass. The ternatea is also known as butterfly-pea, blue-pea, Aprajita, Cordofan pea or Asian pigeonwings. Unlike Masala chai, the beverage associated with the word "chai" the Bluechai is not a spiced tea, nor is it blended but made from the dried petals of the flower.

Derived from a plant that is common to most South East Asian countries Bluechai tea has been brewed for centuries but only recently been introduced to tea drinkers outside the indigenous area. The Bluechai retains many of the medicinal properties of the Clitoria ternatea as well as extracting the deep blue color of the petals that has made the plant a popular dye for centuries. One of the aspects of the Bluechai is the fact that the liquid changes color based on the pH level of the substance added to it, for instance, adding lemon juice to the Bluechai will turn it purple.

Origins

The Clitoria ternatea plant, also referred to as the butterfly-pea, blue-pea, Aprajita, Cordofan pea or Asian pigeonwings, is a plant from the Fabaceae family and is commonly found through out South East Asia. The bright blue petals from the flowers of the butterfly-pea plant have been used as an ingredient in herbal tea drinks throughout the region for centuries as well as used in cooking. The blue flower imparts it's blue color when steeped in warm or hot water, leading it to being used as a dye, as well as to add color to various foods such as the rice dish Nasi kerabu. The butterfly-pea flower tea, or Bluechai, is based on the petals of the vine plant, picked while in full bloom and then dried to create the herbal tea leaves.

The origins of the drink itself is unclear, but it is part of the Hindu mythology associated with Kinnari, a half-human, half-swan creature said to have led a woman suffering from various ailments, including insomnia, to the Himavanta forest where she found the blue flowers of the Butterfly-pea plant. In Thailand and Vietnam the Bluechai drink is commonly known as nam dok anchan, which mixes the Buttterfly-pea tea with honey and lemon for a drink usually served after dinner, or a refreshment at hotels and spas. The nam dok anchan drink has been described as being a typical local drink like chamomile tea is in other parts of the world. The tea is found in both hot and cold varieties, where the cold version is often mixed with honey, mint, cinnamon, passion fruit, and ginger.

For centuries the butterfly-pea flower tea was only known in South East Asia but in recent years, through the proliferation of travel shows and food blogging it has become known outside its area of origin.Bluechai is not readily available in supermarkets, primarily offered by specialty online retailers, although negotiations have been going on to introduce the Bluechai tea in Whole Foods Market in the United States.

The flavor of the Bluechai has been described as "earthy and woody—more similar to a fine green tea than it is to Blue Curaçao or Jolly Ranchers." in a January 2016 article on the Bon Appétit website.

Popularity and color properties

One of the most distinctive characteristics of Bluechai, and indeed other drinks that use the butterfly-pea flower extract, is that it will change color when the pH balance changes. A deep blue tea will turn purple with the addition of lemon juice, turning a deeper shade of purple the more lemon juice is added. A Bluechai liquid mixed with fuchsia roselle hibiscus leaves the tea will turn a bright red color.

A popular use of the Bluechai is in cocktails where the showmanship of the cocktail making incorporates the instantaneous color change in front of the patron that ordered the drink. Other uses included cocktails or punch bowls where the Bluechai is frozen into ice cubes, causing the drink to change color as the ice cube dissolves leading to what has been labeled as a "mood ring cocktail".

Health properties

The Clitoria ternatea plant exhibits several health benefits with the Clitoria ternatea root extracts have been shown to be more potent that extract from the leaves. The Bluechai made from the leaves retains the properties of the plant itself, which is often used to treat ostalgia (ear aches) and liver dysfunctions.

The plant is used in traditional Ayurveda medicine on the Indian Subcontinent, used in a cognitive enhancer known as Shanka Pushi. While the "brain boosting" abilities of the Clitoria ternatea has not been conclusively proven animal research has achieved positive results. Research has also indicated that there is also a mild stress reducing effect that is retained in the Bluechai as well. Traditionally the tea from the Butterfly-pea flower has been used as a diuretic. The Butterfly-pea extract in Bluechai tea displays antioxidant activity, similar to those found in commercial anti-wrinkle creat, although at lower levels.

See also

• Health food store
• List of hot beverages
• Tea culture
• Traditional Chinese medicine