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Butterfly Pea

Butterfly Pea, known scientifically as Clitoria ternatea, is an extraordinary flower native to the tropical regions of Asia, particularly India, Thailand, and Malaysia. This flower is known not only for its beauty, but also for its many beneficial properties that make it a versatile ingredient in both culinary and therapeutic settings and in the world of modern mixology.

Butterfly Pea is easily recognized by its deep blue flowers, often with purple hues. The plant belongs to the Fabacea family and grows like a climbing vine. Its flowers, shaped like a butterfly, the flower is rich in antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body, reducing oxidative stress and promoting cellular health. It has anti-inflammatory properties and through some studies is shown to have positive affects on memory and cognitive function and many other benefits.

Butterfly Pea: its use in cooking.

Butterfly Pea to date is widely used in cooking, especially in the preparation of tea and beverages. When the flowers are soaked in hot water, they release a deep blue pigment that can be used as a natural dye. One of the most fascinating features of this beverage is its ability to change color: by adding an acidic substance such as lemon juice, the blue color turns purple, creating a striking visual effect.

In Thailand and Malaysia, the is used to prepare a non-alcoholic drink called “Nam Dok Anchan.” The ingredients used for preparation are: 250 ml of water, 5/6 Butterfly pea flowers, 2 cups of white sugar, and finally add ½ Lime or pressed lemon. Serve over ice inside a tall tumbler.

The Butterfly Pea: in mixing

In blending it can be used through infusions directly in alcohol to prepare in pre-batch an alcoholic cocktail or use some alcoholic products where the flower is present as an ingredient.

To date the best known are Gin degli Artisti (Magic Colors Edition) craft gin produced in Italy by Anonima Distilleria Italiana.

The Butterfly Pea: Cocktail

What to prepare aside from the classic Gin & Tonic that changes color when the gin is mixed with tonic water, the proposal that comes to me, the cocktail is called METAMORPHOSIS because of the color change that the drink undergoes upon contact with an ingredient with an acidic pH.

It is a deconstructed drink because it is served with a micro pipette filled with two of the previously mixed ingredients, these are lemon juice and wildflower honey, when its contents are sprayed inside the cocktail magically and gradually it changes color in front of everyone’s incredulous eyes.

This is the recipe of well-known Mixologist Carmine Mattia Perciballi:

METAMORPHOSIS cocktail

40 ml Artists’ Gin Magic Colors Edition
20 ml Triple sec
10 ml Wildflower honey
10 ml Fresh lemon juice

Shake gin with Triple sec and separately dissolve honey with lemon juice and place in micro pipette. Pour the cocktail into a cocktail glass bordered with white sugar and with a lemon zest, then serve with the micro pipette on the side.

Butterfly Pea is more than just an ornamental flower. With its many health-promoting properties and versatility in the kitchen, it is a perfect example of how nature can offer simple yet effective solutions for our daily well-being. Whether for a relaxing tea or a touch of natural color in your dishes, Butterfly Pea is definitely an ingredient worth discovering and using.