Blue tea is made from anchan, a Thai orchid that has several common names: purple tea, Clitoria ternatea, butterfly pea tea, anchan, Chang Shu, blue butterfly, Blue Pea, pigeon wings. This plant is not tea as such - an evergreen vine with blue flowers, sometimes reaching a length of up to 3.5 meters, belongs to the genus of flowering plants from the Legume family. Distributed in the tropics and temperate zones of Asia and North America, and later it was brought to Australia and Africa. The cultivation of clitoris trifoliata is mainly carried out in the jungles of Thailand - from there it is exported to other countries. The Thais themselves prepare a welcome drink for guests from blue orchid buds called “nam dok anchan” (from Thai literally means “pea flowers”). This tea not only surprises with its color, but also quenches thirst well and relieves fatigue.
Blue tea became particularly famous after American blogger Katie Chan spoke about it. She brought Thai tea with her from Asia and introduced it to one of the large chains in America and also showed it to the famous pastry chef Dominique Ansel - this is how Anchan became one of the innovative food trends. The infusion of clitoris is rich blue in color, despite the fact that it is almost tasteless. This feature makes it possible to use it in cooking as a natural coloring and make drinks with various additives from it. And, if you add lemon juice to Anchan tea, it will turn purple.
In Thailand, blue tea has been used since ancient times as a source of youth. And, indeed, it contains vitamins D, K, C, B12, B1, B3, B2, microelements - potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, fatty acids - linoleic, stearic, oleic. Clitoria is also rich in various chemicals: saponins, triterpene compounds, glycosides (kaempferol, quercetin), delphinidin-based anthocyanin compounds, flavonoids, steroids. Cliotides were found in the blue orchid - this is a type of high-molecular peptides that have strong antibacterial activity.
Compound
The main component of Clitoria tea is dried flowers. But you can add any other ingredients to the healthy drink as desired, which will give it a more unusual color and interesting taste. So, when you add, for example, lemon juice, the drink will have a purple tint and a pleasant sourness.
Not only the deep blue color of the tea made it so popular, but also a whole storehouse of microelements and vitamins included in its composition:
- vitamins B 1, B 2, B12, B 13, C, D, E, K,
- phosphorus,
- iron,
- manganese,
- potassium,
- calcium,
- amino acids.
It is with the infusion of rose hips that tea from orchid flowers can be compared in composition, as well as in its use in the healing and rejuvenation of the human body.
Attention! Some people mistake blue tea for large-leaf Chinese oolong tea! This cannot be done! Despite some similarity in color when brewing, these are different types. Giving the drink a blue tint, Clitoria ternata grows exclusively in Thailand, and its evergreen vines can reach up to 3.5 meters in height.
What is blue matcha?
Blue matcha is the trade name of the petals of the inflorescences of the clitoris trifoliate ground into powder. According to the production technology for blue matcha, flowers of the clitoris trifoliate are collected in the early morning. Blue matcha tea, compared to regular chang shu tea, which is dried flowers, is more beneficial due to the fact that it is more concentrated. The petals of the clitoris trifolium, ground into powder, are used whole, and not as an infusion, bringing even greater benefits to the body. Blue matcha has many uses. Blue tea powder is universal; it can be consumed not only as a drink, but also as a natural coloring for desserts and regular dishes. For example, adding 1-2 grams per serving of regular baby porridge can arouse interest and appetite even in a little one. Blue tea powder can also be used to color rice, cake cream, and a variety of baked goods.
Beneficial features
Clitoria trifolium flower tea is a 100% natural product. And for the body it has simply a huge number of unsurpassed healing properties:
- strengthens the immune system, increasing the body's protective powers;
- oxygenating and enriching the blood, it has a beneficial effect on the circulatory system;
- tidies up the nervous system and has a relaxing effect;
- improves sleep;
- relieves systematic fatigue, tones and invigorates;
- improves memory and concentrates attention;
- The calcium contained in the drink strengthens teeth and bones;
- improving metabolism, helps in weight loss;
- stabilizes high blood pressure;
- increases cerebral circulation;
- by cleansing blood vessels, it reduces cholesterol levels in the blood, thereby serving as a preventative against vascular diseases;
- helps improve vision;
- normalizes the digestive system.
The composition of quite a few cosmetic products produced in Thailand also contains an extract from the trifoliate clitoris. Blue tea, as a natural food pigment, is also indispensable in culinary production.
For women
Representatives of the fair sex can use blue tea to prolong youth, as well as solve a number of problems related to beauty and health:
- improving the structure of hair, nail plates, skin;
- normalization of menstruation, reduction of discharge, relief of pain;
- increased sexual desire;
- help in solving infertility.
For men
It is believed that tea from the clitoris is useful for the treatment and prevention of sexual dysfunction in men, restoring male strength, increasing libido and relieving infertility (by increasing sperm motility).
Having antimicrobial properties, the drink reduces the risk of sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea.
And thanks to slowing down the aging process, a man will have thick, healthy hair for a long time.
For weight loss
By helping to speed up metabolism, tea promotes weight loss because it has the ability to break down fat and remove it from the body. In addition, sagging skin during weight loss becomes elastic and healthy again.
Warning! Despite the fact that blue tea has practically no contraindications, for a European person, in order to lose weight, it is recommended to drink the drink one cup a day for a week, then take a break for 3 weeks and repeat the course again.
The benefits and harms of trifoliate clitoris tea
The main benefit of blue tea for weight loss is calming. The composition contains useful enzymes that relieve nervous tension, stress or depression .
Also, the benefit of blue pea drink is that it:
- Improves memory and concentration levels.
- Improves vision and its sharpness.
- Relieves eye strain, for example, after reading in semi-darkness.
- Improves hair condition, restores damaged curls.
- Strengthens the immune system.
- Gives the skin a healthy color.
- Gives a feeling of fullness.
- Speeds up digestion.
- Reduces blood pressure.
- Cleanses blood vessels and improves blood circulation.
- Serves as a preventative against cancer.
The main disadvantage of the purple drink is its diuretic effect . With frequent use, it flushes vitamins and microelements from the body. Therefore, drink several cups of butterfly pea tea 2-3 times a week.
“Drink Thai tea for weight loss in moderation so as not to harm yourself! 2-3 times a week is enough!”
Contraindications
The huge advantage of Butterfly pea tea (blue tea) is that it actually has few restrictions on its use - almost everyone can drink it. But there are still minor contraindications ! And first of all, this applies to people suffering from individual intolerance due to possible allergic reactions. Tea should be consumed with caution for the following health problems:
- anemia;
- low pressure;
- blood clotting disorder.
Pregnant and lactating women, as well as those who are planning a pregnancy in the near future, should not avoid consulting a doctor.
If you drink tea from Thailand in moderation and follow all indications for its use, the drink will not cause any harm to the body!
Is it possible to lose weight from tea?
A drink made from anchan leaves will not help you lose 30 kg, but it will help you maintain your diet and help you lose 3-5 kg. The fact is that the components contained in the drink reduce appetite. Because of this, you feel like you are full. Tea can also speed up metabolism and digest food faster .
The blue drink allows you to get rid of the heaviness in the stomach that happens after a hearty dinner or lunch.
If you combine blue tea with regular physical activity and diet, you will see results within a month.
“Thai orchid tea helps girls lose weight by reducing appetite and speeding up metabolism.”
How to brew and drink blue tea correctly
To preserve all the beneficial properties of anchan (blue tea), it is important to follow the correct technology for brewing this magical drink.
It is recommended to brew blue tea in a glass or porcelain teapot in order to see the entire process of color development: from pale blue to deep blue. The boiled water should stand for a while and cool down, because buds filled with boiling water lose a large number of their beneficial qualities, as well as their taste. For the first time, 5 - 7 flowers should be poured with a small amount of water only for a few seconds to rinse, and then the water should be poured out. Next, you can brew the tea a second time and steep for about five minutes. You can drink the drink either hot or cold with the addition of honey, lemon, currant leaves, and mint. The tea should be consumed within 12 hours, otherwise it loses its beneficial properties. Brewed flowers are used up to three times.
Important. When brewing, you should be careful when brewing lemon balm, mint, and clitoris trifoliate buds, because together the calming properties of these plants are enhanced many times over!
After drinking anchan, there should be no blue residue left on the cups. If the plaque remains, then this indicates counterfeiting and the use of dyes. To eliminate any doubts about unscrupulous sellers, it is better to drink tea from transparent cups.
The taste of the drink may remind some of herbal tea, while others will note the absence of any taste at all. If you overdo it with the amount of brewed flowers, you may feel a slight bitterness.
Brewing
Required:
- Fermented butterfly pea flowers – 10 pcs.
- Hot water – 400 ml for rinsing the teapot and tea leaves, 350 ml for brewing.
As for regular tea, the kettle is rinsed with boiling water. It contains 10 flowers of blue Thai tea. If the brew is of high quality, they will be intact, blue, and slightly curled. Those that crumble into dust have not undergone the correct course of fermentation and will not give the “correct” infusion.
To prevent the infusion from losing its taste and beauty, it is important to brew Thai orchid flowers with slightly cooled water. Its temperature should not be more than 90 degrees Celsius. You need to “rinse” the tea leaves with this water. That is, pour it in and drain it almost immediately. This slightly bluish water will carry away dust particles, wash and “open” the flowers.
Now it's time to fill the kettle to the top with water. And let it brew. The color of the drink depends on the duration of infusion. 4 minutes - blue, 10 minutes - blue, 15 minutes dark blue .
After infusion, it’s time to pour the infusion into cups and enjoy its amazing blue color, delicate aroma and peculiar delicate taste. The remaining flowers in the teapot can be filled with hot water again. The second infusion will not be as richly blue as the first, but will retain its characteristic taste and aroma.
Where to buy blue tea in Thailand
Butterfly pea tea (blue tea) is grown and collected in Thailand, so there will be no problems with the purchase. In any store, shop and even on the market you can find packages with anchan. On average 100 gr. raw materials will cost about 60 baht (approximately 120 rubles), the greater the number of packages, the cheaper the price. A sign of good quality will be unbroken flowers and the absence of any impurities in the buds. As an exotic souvenir, these transparent packages with blue flowers can be purchased both for yourself and for relatives and colleagues.
How to collect the clitoris
Clitoria trifoliate
To get purple tea for weight loss Chang Shu you need to collect only blue flower petals. The rest is not used. According to ancient custom, they need to be collected early in the morning; it is believed that at dawn, many useful substances and vitamins accumulate in the flowers.
The collected raw materials are left to dry in the sun for several hours. The petals are then oxidized to release vitamins and other beneficial components. They are then re-dried, rolled and packaged for sale.
