BLUE TEA - Shankhpushpi Flower

From my original Amazon review:

For clarity, Shankhpushpi is simply the traditional Ayurvedic name for the Butterfly Pea flower, if you were searching specifically for that like I was, this is the one. Having never had a blue colour tea before, I thought it would be fun, the 'brain tonic' claims are also a bonus.

Opening the packet, you are greeted with a medicinal, herbal smell, not too unpleasant, but it's definitely there. It does get stronger once brewed though, since it's whole dried flowers, you might also need a bigger strainer or pot to brew them in for best results.

Following the suggestion of using boiling water for 2-3 minutes, the transformation is immediate. As soon as the water covers the flowers in the infuser, a brilliant blue colour bleeds out, deepening into a quite stunning, rich blue-violet liquid. Brew shorter for a lighter colour!

Regarding the taste, it is rather plain. The dominant note is earthy, for me there was a very slight sweet hint in the aftertaste. It’s telling that the brand itself suggests adding honey or lemon (which, incidentally, performs the famous colour-change trick to purple or pink). It's pretty clear you don't buy this tea for the flavour profile.

4 stars since it certainly satisfied my curiosity about the colour; the visual aspect is fun. The flowers themselves seem decent quality. While the taste is secondary, I appreciate the potential benefits, since the taste is mild, you can mixes it with other tea for both fun colours and addtional well-ness boost!

Finally, it's important to note the health recommendations regarding Shankhpushpi (Butterfly Pea) tea: consuming it in excess may lead to side effects like nausea for some individuals. So use them in moderation is advised. All in all, it’s well worth trying if the unique colour or traditional uses interests you.

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I will be posting more cool experiments using blue tea and others later.