This Southeast Asian Tea Changes Colors Like A Mood Ring

@juyim711

Blue, aside from blueberries and tropical frozen drinks, isn’t usually a color we see too often in our food. We feel way more inclined to eat something when there are shades of red, yellow and orange involved because our brains recognize that blue isn’t usually a color found in nature. However, there’s an exception to this rule, and it comes in the form of butterfly pea flowers, which have been used to dye food and drinks shades of blue for centuries.

A post shared by Jenny Ling (@bubbletea_is_life) on Dec 2, 2017 at 3:15pm PST

Butterfly pea powder comes from the butterfly pea plant, which is a vining flower common across Burma and Thailand. The flowers of the butterfly pea plant are usually steeped or mixed in with the food until the desired shade of blue is achieved. And one of the most common ways this pea powder is used is for color-changing tea. Check out the Thrillist video below to see how it works.

You can also play around with the blue tea to change its color. It adjusts based on its pH level, so if you add an acidic element like lemon juice, the tea will turn a bright violet, and if you add something alkaline, it will turn more of a dark green or grey shade.

This color-changing tea is not only natural, but also has antioxidants. It’s even caffeine-free and has a unique, earthy taste. You can find butterfly pea powder tea when you travel to Southeast Asia or you can buy it online by the bag.

A post shared by Jay Yim (@juyim711) on Oct 20, 2017 at 6:06pm PDT

This mood ring tea might even be cool enough to convert some of the most loyal coffee drinkers.

[h/t Thrillist]