May 2020 opened with a surprise visit from my second blue pea vine -- her first bloom since I sowed the seed from the pod I harvested from her predecessor.
It's a promising new start from the past three months of gloom since the novel corona virus epidemic broke out.
I'd like to think that it heralds a grand new beginning as regal as its royal blue hue.
The blue pea vine could climb as high and as long as your fence allows it. Thinking that sightings of such vines belong to a bygone era of rural Singapore, I was overjoyed to bump into this one while walking to the hawker centre one afternoon.
The blue pea flower is probably one of my favourite floral species, not just for its esoteric appearance and colour, but also for its many uses. Did you know that the blue pea flower is touted to be beneficial for the eyes, skin, hair, heart, bladder, lungs? And the list goes on. It's cherished for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic properties; and in some traditions, as an aphrodisiac, mostly for women and for treating menstrual problems.
In many parts of Asia, especially in the southeast, the blue extract is used to colour food such as glutinous rice kueh (or cake in colloquial term), or beautify drinks with lemon grass, pandan leaves, or however you like it. And oh, do try adding lime juice to the blue drink and watch the colour change!
I once tried colouring the rice for the nasi padang meal I prepared for my family. And viola, here's a platter for your eyes only. Perhaps after the "circuit breaker", we can savour a meal together.
Happy Mother's Day!
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