A new menu experience: Butterfly Pea Flower Tea

For restaurant operators and consumers alike looking for a new food or beverage experience, look no further than butterfly pea flower tea.

A naturally occurring compound in butterfly pea powder changes color depending on the level of acidity in a drink, and can emerge as a bright blue or purple depending on the level of lemon juice or other acidic elements. Restaurants and bars have taken to providing engaging experiences for their guests by adding high-acid ingredients to food and drinks containing butterfly pea flower tea in front of them so they can watch them change color.

Bartenders, and some Thai restaurants, discovered this trick years ago, but now butterfly pea flower tea, or the powder on its own, is rising in popularity in other drinks, like lemonade, catering to consumers who want something unique, or who want to post something bright and colorful on social media.

According to market research firm Datassential, butterfly pea flower tea is found on 0.8% of U.S. menus, a 355% increase over the past four years, and is most well-known among Gen Z and vegetarian consumers.

Click through the gallery to learn more about butterfly pea flower tea.