Clitoria ternatea, commonly called butterfly pea or Asian pigeonwings, is a perennial vine in the family Fabaceae. The genus name Clitoria was given by 17th-century botanists due to the flower’s resemblance to the human clitoris, intended as a descriptive anatomical reference. The species epithet ternatea refers to Ternate, an island in the Moluccas (Indonesia), from where the type specimen was first described. Native to tropical Asia, likely the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, it has been widely cultivated and naturalized across South and Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Historically, the plant has been used in Ayurvedic, Unani, and traditional Southeast Asian medicine as a memory enhancer, anti-stress agent, and for treating infections and inflammation. Its striking blue flowers have long been employed as a natural dye and ritual offering in Hindu and Buddhist traditions.

In food culture, the flowers were historically used in Southeast Asia as a natural food coloring for rice, sweets, and drinks, particularly in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Myanmar. One famous traditional preparation is nasi kerabu, a Malaysian rice dish tinted blue with butterfly pea flowers. In Thailand, the flowers are infused into drinks and desserts, while in modern gastronomy, the flowers are prized for their pH-sensitive anthocyanins that turn pink or purple when mixed with acidic ingredients like lemon juice. Today, butterfly pea is used globally in cocktails, teas, natural food colorants, and herbal supplements, and remains a prominent cultural plant in both traditional and modern cuisines.