Butterfly Pea Tea

With its stunning blue color and pleasant mellow flavor, this chilled Butterfly Pea Tea made from butterfly pea flowers is one Thai drink you don't want to miss!

The vibrant blue drink known as Butterfly Pea Tea (Nam Anchan / น้ำอัญชัน) is as refreshing to drink as it is stunning to look at. It is made by steeping butterfly pea flowers in water until they release their natural blue hue and pleasant floral flavor. Like other Thai herbal teas such as chrysanthemum tea and hibiscus tea, this butterfly pea tea is often sweetened and chilled, then served as a refreshing drink in Thailand.

Although the color of the tea is very pronounced, its taste is actually quite subtle. It's so mild, in fact, it's hard to describe other than mellow, inviting, and floral. Even when steeped for a while, this tea doesn't acquire the bitterness that other herbal teas do. With some sugar and ice, it becomes a dramatic yet pleasant way to quench your thirst.

What are Butterfly Pea Flowers?

Butterfly pea flowers are the flowers of the Clitoria ternatea plant. This plant is also commonly known as the butterfly pea, blue pea, or Asian pigeonwings plant. It was first described in Indonesia and is native to Southeast Asia. It grows as a vine with pea-like flowers that are approximately 2 inches in diameter.

The flowers can range in color from white to bright blue with a single light yellow stripe down the center. The blue color comes from the presence of pigments known as anthocyanins. In addition to being rich in antioxidants, these pigments are pH sensitive. This means that the color of the flower extract will change depending on the pH of the solution it's in.

Color Changing Properties

The butterfly pea flower is rich in anthocyanins, natural water soluble pigments that are pH sensitive. When these pigments are in a solution with a neutral pH, they are a stunning dark blue color.

When the pH of the solution is lowered to become acidic, the anthocyanin molecules become protonated and will appear more red or magenta to the human eye. Conversely, when the pH of the solution is raised to become basic, the anthocyanin molecules become deprotonated, giving the solution more of a green appearance.

Butterfly Pea Flowers in Thai Cuisine

Butterfly pea flowers, known as Dok Anchan, have been used in Thai cuisine for many years. They impart their natural vibrant blue color to beverages, rice dishes, and desserts without the need for artificial food coloring.

The drink presented here, butterfly pea tea or Nam Anchan is commonly served as a refreshing beverage. These flowers are also used to make butterfly pea lemonade known as Nam Anchan Manao, which takes advantage of their color-changing properties. When lemon juice is added to the sweetened butterfly pea syrup, it changes from vibrant blue to a beautiful magenta color. Butterfly pea milk known as Nom Sod Anchan is another popular iced drink in Thailand.

In addition to beverages, these flowers contribute their bright blue hue to various rice dishes. They are used to color jasmine rice, making it Blue Rice for dishes such as Khao Yum herbal salad. They are also used to dye sticky rice, turning it into blue or purple sticky rice for use in various desserts, including Mango Sticky Rice. The flowers are used to impart natural coloring for a number of other desserts and jellies as well.

Ingredients

• Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers: This Butterfly Pea Tea known as Nam Anchan can be made using either fresh or dried butterfly pea flowers. Dried flowers are much more readily available outside of Southeast Asia. They can often be found at stores catering to the Southeast Asian population, specialty tea shops, and of course on Amazon. They can be steeped in water 2-3 times before loosing too much of their pigment.
• Water: Hot water is used to extract the beautiful blue hue and delicate flavor of the butterfly pea flowers. You can use hot water from the tap or water that has been boiled and removed from the heat. The natural pigments in the flowers are actually so concentrated that they will also come out in room temperature or cold water, just not as readily as hot water.
• Sugar: In Thailand, this chilled drink is served quite sweet. You can use your choice of sweetener. I prefer granulated white sugar. Adding it to the hot water ensures that it dissolves easily.
• Ice: Because Thailand's climate is hot, this drink is usually served chilled over a glassful of crushed ice.

Instructions

Step 1: Bring water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add dried butterfly pea flowers and white sugar.

Step 2: Allow the flowers to steep for 10-15 minutes until the tea is dark blue in color.

Step 3: Strain the butterfly pea flowers out of the tea. Chill until the tea is cold.

Step 4: Pour the chilled tea over a glass of crushed ice and enjoy!

Storage

Because butterfly pea tea is made with plant material, it should be stored in the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth. In the refrigerator, this refreshing drink will last for several days. Pour the chilled drink over a glassful of crushed ice when you're ready to serve it.