What is butterfly pea powder？

Source of butterfly pea powder

Butterfly pea flower is a vine plant native to parts of Latin America and Southeast Asia. It is now widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions. My country is mainly distributed in Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Zhejiang, Fujian and Taiwan. The Latin name of butterfly pea flower is Clitoria ternatea, and it is called differently in different regions. For example, it is called butterfly pea in Japan and blue butterfly in Guangzhou.

When we go to some beverage shops, we can see layered gradient drinks made with cocktail making technology. With the maturity of technology, more and more beautiful layered drinks have been quietly revealed in the market. When browsing video sites, I can occasionally see this beautiful drink.

Today I will tell you about the principle of "discoloration":

Butterfly pea pollen is blue when it soaks, why does it change color?

It is because anthocyanins, which are water-soluble pigments, can change color with the pH of the cell fluid. It will turn purple when it encounters citric acid, if it turns red (add more), if you want to layer more clearly, add more ice cubes. Shake it back and forth a few times, and the color will continue to change.

As shown in the figure:

Nutritional value of butterfly pea powder:

Anthocyanins are natural and highly effective antioxidants. Their antioxidant properties are 50 times higher than vitamin E and more than 100 times higher than vitamin C. They have a variety of physiological effects on the human body, especially reducing free radicals on the human body. Damage to cells and tissues has a preventive effect on the occurrence of many diseases. According to reports, the anthocyanins in butterfly pea flowers are 10 times that of ordinary plants, and water-soluble anthocyanins are the mainstay. The water extract can effectively enrich anthocyanins, so the biological potency is also higher.

In addition, butterfly pea flower is also rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E and other active ingredients, which have various effects such as protecting eyesight, preventing night blindness, maintaining brain vitality, protecting heart blood vessels, anti-depression, and improving immunity.

Application scope of butterfly pea powder:

It can be used to dye rice, tea, cakes and other foods,

Used for baking, biscuits, cakes, candies, etc.

Suitable for beverages, smoothies, yogurt, color-changing drinks, etc.