We were contacted recently by the folks at BlueChai to see if we wanted to review their organic blue tea. Since I love tea, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try something new.
The generous sample we received is plenty for quite a few servings.
BlueChai makes their blue tea from premium organic Clitoria ternatea, which is also known as Butterfly Pea flower, Aparajita flower, Bunga telang, Blue Pea, Cordofan-pea and Clitoria Flower.
Aside from the beautiful blue color of the tea, I really like that it is caffeine-free, chemical-free, and made from all natural flowers. 100% Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers (from Thailand), to be exact.
Since I was not familiar with Butterfly Pea Flowers, I did a little research and (thanks to WikiPedia) learned the plant is native to the tropical regions around equatorial Asia. But has also been introduced to Africa, Australia and America.
Apparently this flower has been used for centuries in traditional Ayurvedic medicine as an antidepressant, antistress, memory enhancer and sedative (among many other uses).
It's also a common natural food coloring in many southeast Asian dishes.
The Butterfly Pea flower is also rich in Bioflavinoids, and the juice has been used by Thai women for centuries to help make their hair long, thick and shiny.
It is also high in the same antioxidant found in blueberries and raspberries, proanthocyanidin, as well as the powerful antioxidant anthocyanin.
How to Make Butterfly Pea Flower Tea
The first time I brewed it, I filled my tea ball with the butterfly pea flowers, and think I may have overdone it - at least for my taste. Afterwards, I went to the BlueChai website, and they recommend brewing a single-serve mug with about 5-7 flowers.
My initial brew was at least twice as much, so it was a little strong for my taste. It tasted very earthy or mossy to me and needed a little something to make more appealing.
I discovered on their site that it combines well with honey, lemon, stevia tea and lemongrass tea.
Next, I wanted to find out how it would work as iced tea (since I really love all flavors and types of iced tea). This time, I brewed a mug with only 4 dried flowers and let it steep for about 5 minutes. I added some honey for a little sweetness and then poured it into a glass over ice. Ahhh, this was very refreshing - and beautiful to look at too!
I probably won't brew any hot tea again anytime soon since I'm in Phoenix and it's starting to get really hot here, but when I do I'll definitely add some lemon and/or honey. I am certain to enjoy some Iced Butterfly Pea Flower Blue Tea in the coming summer months.
The BlueChai online tea shop was founded by Stefan, a student who enjoyed butterfly pea tea while in college in Bangok, Thailand. After he finished school and returned to Germany he was no longer able to purchase the tea, so he started BlueChai with some friends and is now able to share this tea with the world.
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Martha McKinnon
Thanks, Peter. Your glass of Iced Blue Chai looks so cooling and calming. Something we need a lot of here in Phoenix all summer 🙂 What a lovely 0 points beverage option. I loved reading about why stefan formed the company!
Stefan
Thanks so much for a great, insightful review Peter!
By the way, adding some lemon slices or juice not only enhances the flavor, it'll also turn the ice tea pink 😉
Peter
That's great Stefan, thanks. I'll definitely do more experimenting with iced blue tea this summer. It's fun to be able to enhance the taste and the color of the tea!
Norma Swatsenberg
I use BPT to make Kombucha. (fermented tea). When something acidic is added to the blue tea such as Kombucha or Lemon, it'll turn a lovely shade of purple.