Butterfly Pea Dyed

Butterfly Pea is a beautiful little flower with a history of use in food, medicine, and, much more recently, textiles. 

We came across it quite a few times as a food colouring before we were introduced to it as a dye by a small group of natural dyers in India who made us double-take when they asked if we like 'clitoria'. We thought it was probably just a coincidence that it sounded so close to a word we didn't think we'd be using in a business setting, but it turns out the latin name is a direct reference to the appearance of the flower resembling genitals!

As food additive and traditional medicine, tea brewed with Butterfly Pea is said to aid good memory and improve focus. As a pigment in water, it is very sensitive to acid and is often served to guests as a blue liquid that changes before their eyes to vivid purple when a squirt of lemon or lime is added.