Aparajita Blue Tea, the Colour-Changing Cup
Dried aparajita flowers steeped for a blue cup that turns purple with lemon. A pretty caffeine-free tea, not a medicine.
A blue cup that changes colour
Aparajita, or butterfly pea flower, grows on fences across India and steeps into a deep blue tea. A squeeze of lemon turns it purple, which is a pH colour change and pleasant to watch. The flowers have been used in Ayurveda and the tea is caffeine-free and mild in taste, but claims for memory, weight loss or eyesight are not proven.
Use five to six dried flowers for a cup of hot water, steep for five minutes and sip warm or cold. Add lemon for the colour change. Keep to a cup or two a day. Skip it in pregnancy and breastfeeding unless your doctor approves, and stop if you notice stomach upset or rash. Use flowers grown without sprays.
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 dried aparajita flowers
- 1 cup hot water
- A few drops of lemon juice
How to prepare
- Put the flowers in a cup and pour hot water over.
- Steep for five minutes until blue, then strain.
How to use
- Add lemon drops and watch it turn purple.
- Sip warm, or cool over ice.
Helpful habits
- Skip sugar, or add a little honey for adults.
- Use unsprayed flowers.
Precautions
- Skip it in pregnancy and breastfeeding unless your doctor approves.
- Stop if you notice stomach upset or a rash.
- A pretty tea, not a medicine.
Frequently asked questions
Does the tea help memory or weight loss?
- Claims are not proven. It is a pleasant caffeine-free tea.
Why does it turn purple?
- Lemon changes the acidity and the pigment changes colour.
Can children have it?
- Ask your paediatrician first.
