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Butterfly pea flower
Bunga telang
Also called bunga telang, blue pea flower, anchan, blue tea, Clitoria ternatea
The deep blue flower of a tropical climbing pea, usually sold dried. Steeped in hot water it gives a strong blue colour with almost no taste, which is why it is used to dye rice, cakes and drinks.
Origin
Grown across tropical Asia, often trained along fences and trellises. Malaysia uses it for nasi kerabu and Nyonya kuih such as pulut tai tai; Thailand brews it as a blue tea, nam dok anchan.
Flavour
Very mild, slightly earthy and green, like a weak herbal tea. The colour is the point. It turns violet, then pink, when an acid such as lime juice is added.
How to use it
Steep 20 to 30 dried flowers in 500 ml of just-boiled water for 10 minutes, strain, and use the blue water to cook rice or to colour glutinous rice and cake batters. Keep acids away until you want the colour to change.
Storage
Store dried flowers in an airtight jar away from light; they keep for a year but fade slowly. Fresh flowers keep a day or two in the fridge.