How To Make Blue Tea in Australia
Although not common in most cafes around Australia, blue tea is a trendy drink that is very popular among people because of its vibrant color.
South Asian-born blue tea, also referred to as butterfly pea tea, is an herbal brew. It is created by brewing the dried petals of the Clitoria Ternatea L. plant, which is distinguished by its distinctive bright blue hue.
Blue tea is popular for its health properties in addition to serving as a natural food coloring. For example, it purportedly has positive benefits on the heart and brain as well as anti-diabetic and anti-cancer properties.
You can drink blue tea hot or cold, and making a cup is simple. If you are tired of traditional green tea and want something new, you will love blue tea. It’s not only amazing to look at but tastes excellent with citrusy flavor and aroma.
You must be wondering how blue tea changes colors to light purple and turquoise. Well, the secret behind that is acidity and PH. When you add lime juice to the tea, it changes color from deep blue to purple because of the change in PH levels.
The entire process is very mesmerizing and quite beautiful. That is why Butterfly Pea Flowers are mostly used to make cocktails and teas in Australia. The tea will gradually change color as you drink it.
It is quite fun for kids as well. You can make blue-purple mocktails with butterfly pea flower extract for kids.
Benefits of Blue Tea
Blue tea is rich in antioxidants and helps in digestion. If you have a heavy meal, you can take a cup of warm or cold blue tea to calm your digestive system.
In summer, blue tea is best drunk cold with soda. It not only refreshes you but also increases energy levels. That is why it’s quite popular in Thailand, where the temperatures are high. You can find it in Australia in cafes during the summer season.
Blue tea is also recommended by dieticians because it helps burn fat by speeding up the metabolism. Like green tea, this drink helps get rid of excess water in the body which regulates blood sugar levels.
Blue Tea Recipe in Australia
Butterfly tea is made by infusing Butterfly Pea flowers in hot water. The resulting tea is very delicious and eye candy.
Ingredients
- Drinking Water 1 liter
- Butterfly Pea Flowers (Dry or Fresh) 1 cup
- Brown Sugar 2 tbsp
- Honey 1 tbsp
- Sprite 1 can
- Soda Water 1 bottle
- Limes 2
Instructions
Making The Concentrate
- Bring the water to a boil in a pot.
- For those using fresh flowers, start preparing the Butterfly Pea Flowers by cutting off the green bottoms while the water is heating up. You can use dried flowers exactly as they are.
- After the water has boiled, turn off the heat, add the flowers, and cover the pan. 5 minutes of sitting without extra heating (if you carry on boiling water a bitter taste will develop).
- Strain the tea concentrate into a jug when the allotted five minutes have passed.
- Add the honey and brown sugar while the mixture is still heated and stir to combine (you can adjust sweetness by adding more or less to your taste).
Making a Wonderful Drink
- The blue color will magically change to purple when you add 2 teaspoons of lime juice to a glass with ice and 1/4 to 1/3 of the tea concentrate.
- Add soda, sprite, 7-Up, or simply plain water to finish. With some appetizers, you can also enjoy a hot beverage like tea.
- Enjoy your nutritious beverage!
Also try the following recipes:
Notes
- For optimal effects, butterfly pea tea should steep for around 5 minutes.
- Remove the flowers after 5 minutes and serve hot or cold with ice cubes as a chiller.
Conclusion
Butterfly pea flower tea, also known as blue tea or blue butterfly pea tea, is a beautiful and naturally blue herbal tea made from the dried flowers of the butterfly pea plant (Clitoria ternatea).
Enjoy your homemade butterfly pea flower tea in Australia! It’s not only visually stunning but also has a mildly earthy and herbal flavor. It’s a delightful and refreshing beverage on its own or as a base for creative tea blends and cocktails.
