Tisane of the Month: Butterfly Pea

Our tisane of the month is the mesmerising Butterfly Pea Flower. These brilliant blue petals make for a stunning, delicious and healthy infusion. These flowers have been used for medicine, food, as a dye and drank for pleasure for centuries, and brew a deep sapphire liquor.

The butterfly pea flower, also known as the Clitoria ternatea, is native to South-East Asia and is a member of the legume family, or the pea family. It grows as a vine and yields familiar pods of peas in addition to the stunning flowers.

The flowers have been used to make dye in Asian countries for centuries, the colour they produce is vivid blue. They are also eaten, sometimes battered and fried as tempura. In Malaysia the flower is used to make a blue rice dish called Nasi Kerabu and a colourful glutinous rice desert, Kuih.

In India it is known as a holy flower and is often used in puja rituals to offer to the gods. It is also an important ingredient in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, said to be beneficial for brain activity as well as having anti-anxiety and anti-depressant qualities.

The most prevalent use of Butterfly Pea flower is to make a delicious caffeine free tisane. This can take many forms, in south-east Asian countries you are likely to be offered one in a spa due to its beauty and perceived health and relaxation benefits. It is also a common after dinner beverage, similar to how chamomile is drank in the west. Sometimes lemongrass or citrus is added and often with sugar or honey.

Butterfly Pea Flower has the magical ability of changing colour – the addition of citrus will change the liquid from blue to purple. The colour of the infusion depends on the PH level of the water, turning purple in light acidity and bright pink in more acidic liquid. This can be a lot of fun to play around with at home. For example it can be used to make an impressive iced tea, lemonade or even a cocktail!

As well as being bizarre and beautiful, Butterfly Pea Flower is packed with health benefits. The chemical responsible for its mesmerising colour-changing capabilities is anthocyanin – the same anti-oxidant that is found in superfoods such as red cabbage and aubergine. The antioxidants in Butterfly Pea are beneficial for the production of anti-aging collagen, which plumps and rejuvenates the skin. It is also a natural anti-inflammatory and can fight a fever.

Our Butterfly Pea Flower luxury tisane is nothing more than high quality whole flower heads, vibrant blue and packed with antioxidants. It is the perfect after dinner drink, caffeine free and deeply relaxing. The flavour is woody and earthy, with some herbaceous notes. If you like, you can get creative and add mint, lemon, ginger, turmeric or any other ingredients you like and enjoy the show stopping drink hot or cold or you could even wow your guests by adding blue ice cubes to a cocktail turning their drink pink!

However you chose to serve it, it will certainly bring some colour and comfort to your day.  

Shop Butterfly Pea Flower.