Clitoria Ternatea · Dried Whole Flowers · 50g · Organic · Sun-Dried on Bamboo Mats
The Flower That Brews Blue, Turns Purple with Lemon, and Has Been Used as a Brain Tonic for 3,000 Years
Steep a handful of these dried blue petals in hot water and watch the liquid turn a deep, vivid blue — the colour of a clear tropical sky. Squeeze in lemon juice and the blue shifts to purple right before your eyes. That colour change made butterfly pea flower tea go viral on social media, and it’s the reason bartenders in Bangkok, Melbourne, and Brooklyn put it in cocktails. But in India, this flower has been used for far longer and for far more than aesthetics. In Ayurveda, Clitoria ternatea is classified as a Medhya Rasayana — one of four elite brain-tonic herbs prescribed for memory, cognitive function, and mental clarity. In Siddha medicine, it’s called Vishnukranta and used for stress, anxiety, and nervous system support. The blue comes from anthocyanins — the same class of antioxidants found in blueberries, but in dramatically higher concentrations. Organically grown, hand-picked, sun-dried on bamboo mats. 50g of whole dried flowers, enough for dozens of cups of the most visually spectacular tea you’ll ever make.
Organic · Hand-Picked
Caffeine Free
No Preservatives or Dyes
Ships via DHL / UPS
Why It Changes from Blue to Purple
The intense blue colour comes from anthocyanins — a class of water-soluble pigments found in many blue, purple, and red fruits and flowers. Butterfly pea flowers have an exceptionally high anthocyanin concentration, producing a deeper blue than almost any other edible plant source. Anthocyanins are pH-sensitive: in neutral or slightly alkaline water, they appear blue. Add something acidic — lemon juice, lime, tamarind, vinegar — and the pH drops, shifting the anthocyanin structure and changing the colour to purple or pink. Add something alkaline (like a pinch of baking soda) and the blue deepens toward green. This isn’t a trick or a chemical reaction added by processing — it’s the natural chemistry of the pigment responding to acidity. The same phenomenon happens with red cabbage juice and litmus paper. In your cup, it looks like magic. In a chemistry lab, it’s a pH indicator. Both are true.
What Ayurveda Knew Before Instagram Did
Medhya Rasayana
Brain tonic — memory, cognition, focus
Stress & Anxiety
Anxiolytic properties in traditional practice
Antioxidant
Anthocyanins — more concentrated than blueberries
Hair Health
Traditionally used in hair rinses and oils
Eye Health
Anthocyanins support retinal blood flow
Anti-Inflammatory
Studied for reducing chronic inflammation
Natural Food Colour
Chemical-free blue/purple dye for food
Caffeine Free
Drink any time — morning, afternoon, night
Six Ways to Use Butterfly Pea Flowers
Blue Tea — Hot or Iced
Drop 5–8 dried flowers into a cup of hot water. Steep for 5–6 minutes. The water turns a vivid, deep blue. The taste is mild, earthy, slightly floral — much gentler than green tea or chamomile. Add Moolihai’s Marthandam Honey for sweetness. For the colour-change effect, squeeze in half a lemon or lime after steeping — watch the blue shift to purple in real time. For iced blue tea: steep hot, strain, cool, pour over ice. Caffeine-free, so you can drink it in the evening without affecting sleep. In Ayurveda, this is consumed as a calming, brain-supporting evening tea.
Cocktails, Mocktails & Creative Drinks
Butterfly pea flower tea is the bartender’s colour-change trick. Brew a strong blue concentrate (10–15 flowers in half a cup of water, steeped 10 minutes). Use it as a base in gin and tonics, vodka lemonades, margaritas, or any clear cocktail — the drink turns blue. When your guest squeezes lemon into it, it shifts to purple at the table. For non-alcoholic drinks: mix the blue concentrate with lemonade, sparkling water, or coconut water. Layer it in a glass for a gradient effect (cold blue concentrate on bottom, clear lemonade on top — the colours mix slowly). This is the single most photogenic drink ingredient you can buy.
Natural Food Colouring — Blue and Purple
Steep flowers in hot water, strain, and use the blue liquid as a natural dye for rice (blue nasi kerabu — a Malaysian dish), cake batter, cookie dough, pancakes, pasta dough, smoothie bowls, ice cream, and anything else you want to turn blue without synthetic food colouring. Add lemon juice to the liquid for a purple/lavender shade. This is one of the only natural sources of true blue food colour — most “natural” blue food dyes are spirulina-based and taste like algae. Butterfly pea flower extract has almost no flavour at normal colouring concentrations, so it adds colour without changing taste. Safe for children, free of chemicals, and far more visually striking than any bottle of food colouring from a store.
Hair Rinse — Shine and Scalp Health
Brew a strong butterfly pea flower infusion (a handful of flowers in 2 cups of water, simmered for 15 minutes). Cool to room temperature. After shampooing, pour the blue liquid over your hair as a final rinse. The anthocyanins coat the hair shaft, adding subtle shine and a very faint cool-toned tint (more noticeable on grey or light hair). The antioxidant and antimicrobial properties support scalp health. In traditional South Indian and Southeast Asian hair care, butterfly pea flower has been used in hair rinses and oil infusions for generations — long before it became a trendy tea ingredient. Combine with Moolihai’s Bhringraj Oil for a complete hair care protocol.
Face Mask & Skin Toner
The anthocyanins in butterfly pea flowers are potent antioxidants that protect skin cells from free radical damage and promote collagen production. Brew a strong infusion, cool, and use as a facial toner with a cotton pad. For a face mask: mix the concentrated blue liquid with rice flour or Moolihai’s Multani Mitti to form a blue paste, apply for 15 minutes, and rinse. The antioxidant action supports skin elasticity and fights premature ageing. The blue-purple colour of the mask is striking on the skin — and completely rinses off.
Blue Ice Cubes — The Party Trick
Brew butterfly pea flower tea, pour into ice cube trays, freeze. Drop the blue ice cubes into clear lemonade, sparkling water, or a cocktail. As the cubes melt, the blue colour bleeds into the drink and — if the drink is acidic — turns purple. The drink changes colour slowly over the course of minutes as your guest watches. This takes zero bartending skill, costs almost nothing, and gets a reaction from everyone at the table every single time.
What You’re Getting
50g
Whole dried flowers
Clitoria Ternatea
Butterfly pea / Sangu Pushpam
India
Organically grown
Sun-Dried
On bamboo mats, traditional method
Nothing Added
No preservatives, no artificial colour
Caffeine Free
Drink any time of day
Vivid Blue
Turns purple with acid (lemon/lime)
$16.00
50g pack
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Common Questions
Mild, earthy, and faintly floral — much subtler than you’d expect from something so visually dramatic. The taste is closer to a very light green tea than to a strong herbal infusion. Some people describe it as woody with a hint of sweet pea. On its own it’s pleasant but understated, which is actually why it works so well in cocktails, cooking, and as a food colouring — it adds colour without imposing a strong flavour. Honey, lemon, ginger, and mint all pair well with it. If you’re expecting a bold, strong-flavoured tea, this isn’t that. If you want something gentle, beautiful, and easy to drink morning or evening, it’s ideal.
Dried butterfly pea flowers are very light — 50g is a substantial volume. At 5–8 flowers per cup (about 1–2g), 50g makes roughly 25–50 cups of tea. For food colouring and cocktail concentrates (which use more flowers per batch), the yield is lower but still generous. The flowers can also be re-steeped once — the second infusion produces a lighter blue, still usable for tinting drinks and rice. At $16 for 25–50 cups, the per-cup cost is well under a dollar. Store in an airtight container away from light and moisture to preserve the colour intensity.
Yes — butterfly pea flowers are edible. In Southeast Asian cuisine (particularly Thai and Malaysian), the whole flowers are used in rice dishes, desserts, and salads. After steeping for tea, the softened flowers can be eaten or blended into smoothies. They’re mild, slightly earthy, and have no bitterness. In India, the flowers are traditionally used in temple offerings and religious garlands in addition to culinary and medicinal applications. These flowers are organic, sun-dried, and free from any chemical treatment — fully food-safe.
Yes — and this is one of the strongest arguments for butterfly pea flower over synthetic food dyes. Most commercial blue food colouring is made from synthetic chemicals (Brilliant Blue FCF / E133). Butterfly pea flower extract is a natural pigment from an edible flower, with no synthetic chemicals, no allergens, and no artificial additives. Use the steeped blue liquid to colour cake batter, icing, pasta dough, rice, pancakes, or any food you want to turn blue for a child’s birthday party, school project, or just to make lunch more fun. The colour-change with lemon makes it an edible science experiment — kids love watching it shift from blue to purple.
Limited data exists on butterfly pea flower consumption during pregnancy. Some traditional sources advise caution, noting that Clitoria ternatea has been used in traditional medicine for its uterine-stimulating properties, which could theoretically pose a risk during pregnancy. At the small quantities used in tea (5–8 flowers per cup), the risk is likely minimal, but the precautionary approach is to avoid it during pregnancy or consult your OB-GYN before drinking it. After delivery, there are no known concerns with breastfeeding use. As a food colouring in cooked dishes, the quantity per serving is very small and generally considered negligible.
*Dried butterfly pea flowers for culinary, beverage, and traditional wellness use. The Medhya Rasayana (brain tonic) classification is based on traditional Ayurvedic knowledge, not clinical evidence approved by the FDA or Indian Medical Association. Not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Use caution during pregnancy — traditional sources indicate potential uterine-stimulating properties. If you have specific health conditions or take medications, consult your healthcare provider before regular consumption. The colour-change effect is a natural pH response of anthocyanin pigments and requires no additional chemicals. Store in an airtight container away from light and moisture. Individual results vary.
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