I am using 'elixir' in the sense of a beverage that contains ingredients meant to support various bodily functions via herbs and superfoods, not 'elixir' in the alcoholic libation sense.
Yesterday Jake sent me a text: Have you heard of Mounjaro? I hadn't. But the first thing that came up in my research was Brazilian Mounjaro, a drink made with blue butterfly pea flowers, water, lemon, honey, and apple cider vinegar.
I texted my girlfriends to ask if they had ever heard of Mounjaro and one texted to clarify if I meant to prescription drug for weight loss during menopause. No! I was definitely going with my first find of a beautiful, delicious drink. Another girlfriend found a different concoction that included yerba mate and ginger. Again, no. Yerba mate is something I can't drink; my pulse races and I get headaches.
Blue Butterfly Pea Flowers
First, let's talk about blue butterfly pea flowers. Scientific name Clitoria ternatea, this versatile flower which native to Asia, grows in Thailand, Malaysia, and India. For hundreds of years, people have used the petals as a natural dye for fabrics as well as foods.
I myself have used both the whole blossoms as well as the powder to create everything from blue-hued cakes to cocktails and magical changing drinks. When the boys were younger, we experimented with its
color-changing properties. Anthocyanins are the pigments that give the flower its blue color. When something acidic is added to the mix, like lemon juice, the pH level changes. This causes the anthocyanins to change color too. The result: blue turns to purple.
Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Elixir
I tried different proportions until I landed on this. I will be making this for us weekly. But this is what we liked the best...so far.
Ingredients
1 liter water
4 Tablespoons blue butterfly pea flowers
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 Tablespoons honey (I used a local-to-me sage honey)
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Procedure
Place water and dried pea flowers into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir to ensure that all of the flowers are submerged. Remove from heat, stir in the grated ginger, and steep for 10 minutes. While still warm, stir in the honey until it is completely dissolved.
Use fine mesh strainer to remove the petals and larger pieces of ginger. Stir in the vinegar and the lemon juice. Drink warm or let cool completely and refrigerate until ready to enjoy.
Cheers!
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