PariTells: Butterfly Pea Tea

I have always been not only talking about but also drinking much of ice coffee. But lately,I was fastinated by blue tea and have changed drinking habbit a little bit. Instead of ice coffee,I just make ice tea, to cool my body’s temperature down in these warm summer days. Mostly, just pure tea with ice cubes,no sugar nor honey added, not even sour taste of lemon juice in it. That helps refreshing as well as revitalizing. I love sipping it at any time whenever I’m home.

So for the time being (perhaps, for later too), coffee has become the second choice (probably, the third and/or the fourth,hereafter). As I was recently in Thailand Festval in Badhomburg,Germany, I have bought 2 bags of healthy herbal tea back home; butterfly pea and lemon grass. I will tell you about lemon grass tea later,by now, let me tell you more about this (wonder) blue pea.

Butterfly pea or known in Thai as “Anchan” is vine plant that grown well in moist and neutral soil.Sometimes it’s simply called blue pea,whilst its elegant scientific name, entitled a bit harder to remember (well, for some people,then), is --“Clitoria ternatea”.

Butterfly pea is well-known to be used in traditional Ajurvedic medicine since the old times.Every part of it; the leaves,flowers,seeds and roots can be applied to use as a remedy to cure deseases. And what amazes me most is,in fact, its fancy and vivid blue flowers that contain concentrated deep blue pigment. They can be squeezed and used as coloring for food and desserts. But more interesting than that...its health benefits that should be made better known.The flollowing list I collect here is just some examples.So you can have some ideas how powerful those gentle petals of little vine plant can be.Here they are :

Nourishes and strengthens the hair as well as hair roots {optimum hair care products made of butterfly pea flowers are also available, my favorite ones are unfortunately only possible to get by importing from Thailand.They are not yet popular in the Netherlands (nor in Europe,I think) }
Prevents skin bruising and keeps it healthy
Prevents numbness/beri beri
Reduces risk for developing blood clots
Treats urinary dysfunction
Improves eyesight & night vision
Helps prevent cataract (a clouding in the lens that hampers the vision ) and glaucoma (a condition that causes damage to the eye's optic nerve)
Treats eye infections (as well as inflammation in the eyes)
Stimulates blood circulation
Detoxifies the body
Provides antioxidants
Slows aging process
Enhances immune system
Reduces thirst
Helps refreshing and revitalizing

As butterfly pea plant is rare to find in Europe or if I would say “impossible”,I can be right as well. I’m so sure not even to find it in my own garden in the Netherlands.This plant is actually native to tropical Asia. However,we can make things possible nowadays. When we can’t find it fresh, then just try to find the dried.When we can’t find it in the local shops, then just buy the one imported That’s how I enjoy comsumption butterfly pea tea these days.

As I mentioned above,I often drink it without any sweet.But sometimes,I love to make thing different.By adding a few drops of lime or lemon juice ,my deep blue pea tea will turn purple in a second.This is awesome.That’s why I’m stucking on it everyday now.