Originating in Thailand or Australia, the bleu (blue) latte is a uniquely crafted drink that surely attracts attention. Usually served without espresso, the bleu latte is made a few different ways.
The first recipe uses Butterfly-Pea Flower tea from Thailand. This unique caffeine-free herbal tea has been used for centuries throughout Southeast Asia and only recently made its way to your doorstep. The leaves are made into a powder and easily added to your latte using the same method as matcha. Similar to matcha, the Butterfly-Pea Flower comes action-packed with a lot of antioxidants. The taste will be somewhat earthy yet mostly lacking in flavor. Adding sweetener or flavor such as lavender or mint is nice. One interesting aspect of this herbal tea is the color changes based on the pH level.
Blue spirulina is the next way you can enjoy your blue latte. Typically served in Australia, the blue spirulina, a blue algae powder, has a distinct aroma: Seaweed. This is expected since the blue spirulina is the cousin of the widely popular green spirulina, which has a dominant taste when added to almost anything. This specific recipe calls for a coconut base with ginger and lemon. I would recommend oat or almond milk as an alternative. The flavor will be different than anything you have ever tasted, so be prepared.
The last blue latte recipe uses blue curacao syrup, bringing color to the white chocolate milk, creating a unique mix of flavors that is great for the winter and white chocolate lovers. Traditionally, blue curacao is made from the dried peel of the Laraha citrus fruit, grown on Curacao’s southern Caribbean island, and once again the same Butterfly-Pea Flower in Southeast Asia to give a more adult drink for coffee lovers.
Yet Monin offers an alcohol-free option. Both syrups have an orange taste because of how the syrup it’s made, and just like the recipes, are caffeine-free drink to enjoy for the winter.