What is colour changing tea?
Our colour changing tea is made from blue tea, or butterfly pea flower tea, which is a natural flower used to colour foods vivid blue. The flowers of the plant are the brightest blue to exist in nature and when brewed in hot water (or cold!) they produce a bright blue liquid.
Not only is the tea blue, but it changes colour depending on the pH levels of the ingredients it is mixed with. Bird & Blend have a butterfly pea flower tea blend - Blue Raspberry - which is a blend of blue pea flowers, green tea leaves and freshly dried raspberries, which bring a slightly fruity taste to the blue tea. We also use this in our famous iced Unicorn Fizz and our Wobbly Unicorn Cocktails (read on to find out more).
Why does blue tea change colour?
Naturally blue tea brews into a bright blue colour but when other ingredients are added to it, it can magically change colour before your very eyes! This is because the additional ingredients change the pH balance of the blue tea, causing a colour change.
For example, when you add acidic lemon juice to blue tea it will change from blue to pink within a matter of moments; try it- it's a lot of fun and tastes great too! Adding hibiscus leaves or syrup will result in a bright red colour, making this tea the perfect party trick!
How do I make the magical colour change happen?
If you've ordered our fabulous colour changing Blue Raspberry blend but are struggling to make the magic happen - or if you aren't enjoying the taste we are here to help!
Trouble shooting tips:
If your tea is tasting bitter; your water temperature is too hot - use a splash of cold water first and don't steep for longer than 3 mins.
If your tea isn't brewing blue; you may not have enough of the blue flower in your infuser - try a heaped, even spoonful whilst being mindful that the flowers might have settled lower down your pouch/tin.
If your tea isn't changing colour to pink; the acidity isn't strong enough - Try the juice of a whole lemon or lemon syrup (like the stuff you put on pancakes!).
Check out our Unicorn Fizz iced tea recipe (including Wobbly Unicorn Cocktail)
