Steam slowly rises from a fresh brew of butterfly pea witch’s tea. What may seem like “just a bunch of hocus pocus” is quite the chemical reaction spell. Squeeze a wedge of citrus into your cup and transform your tea from blue, to purple, magenta, and even pink. The more acid, the more the color changes!
Butterfly Pea leaves and flowers are full of antioxidants to fight off the heebie jeebies that mean us harm. This potion tastes similar to green tea with earthy flavors that pair sweetly with honey or a fresh infusion of mint, ginger, or lemongrass. Not only reserved for beverages, you can also use these flowers and leaves as a plant-based dye in other recipes for cakes, frostings, or children (uh, I mean…candy)!
We chose to make this sipping tea simply spooky by adding candy eyes to the squeezed lime wedge and using “him” as a garnish! But you can also use peeled longan or lychee for eyeballs. Be sure to concoct this brew in clear mugs to enjoy the color changes in action.
Butterfly Pea Witch’s Tea
Ingredients:
- 1-2 tsp. Butterfly pea leaves, dried
- Water
- Lime, wedge
- 2 Candy eyes
- 1 tsp. Honey
Instructions:
- Bring a pot of water to a full roiling bubble, then remove from heat and let cool slightly for a minute.
- Pour the water over 1-2 teaspoons of dried butterfly pea leaves and let it steep for 5 minutes.
- Strain out the leaves, and give it a taste so you don’t miss out on true blue tea flavor!
- One thing more and all is done, add a squeeze of lemon juice and watch the color transform.
- Optional: Drizzle in a teaspoon or two of honey if you prefer a little sweetness and ‘tis ready for tasting!
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