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If you are looking for blue foods, we did the work for you.
Although scarce in the world of colorful foods, there exist foods that are purely blue.
They contain a natural pigment that turns them blue.
Most of the blue foods get their pigments from anthocyanins.
Anthocyanins most usually are unstable and change their pigment according to the PH they are exposed to.
Red cabbage is a good example that can turn either bright red, purple, blue, or dark blue depending upon the acidity they are exposed to.
Blue pigments are usually less stable than the other color pigments that are available in different foods and ultimately blue is dominated by those colors.
This is the reason that there are very few blue foods available.
The blue color suppresses our appetite.
The human is also designed to lack an automatic appetite response to blue which is the reason dieticians suggest to eat in blue plates so one can eat less.
Blue fruits and veggies contain antioxidants that benefit heart function, brain, and lower the risks of cancer and blood pressure.
The device called spectrophotometer can detect the true colors of food that we see blue due to the fact that the device catches the wavelengths of the few colors and reflect the rest when the white light is bounced on it.
In this way, the food we expect to be blue is far from being blue and may turn to be purple.
While early humans may have fewer blue foods available to them, we predict that we will be selecting more blue foods in the near future because they are full of antioxidants and help in the prevention of a number of diseases and outbreaks such as cancer, Alzheimer, heart diseases.
They may improve vision as well.
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List of Blue Foods to be aware of:
Below is the list of some blue foods that you won’t miss to know about. Let’s explore.
1. Blueberries:
Blueberries look blue when you pick them up but they turn red or purple when crushed.
The pigment in them is blue at the neutral PH but turns red when exposed to the acid.
The flavor is usually ravishing when in the acidic state.
Blueberries might turn even green when exposed to too much the basic PH.
Blueberries belong to the genus vaccinium.
They are all native to North America.
They are sold fresh or processed like juice, fruit, dried berries or infused berries.
They are also used in a variety of consumer goods like jam, jellies, pies or muffins.
They contain carbohydrates, proteins, fats, water, micronutrients, dietary fiber, vitamins C and vitamin K.
2. Blue corn:
Like blueberries, blue corn is also loaded with anthocyanins, a pigment which turns them blue.
In the acidic condition, it will appear purple while in its basic form it will more appear to be blue.
The varieties of blue corn cultivated in the united states vary in their content of anthocyanins, polyphenol pigment that gives the corn its unique color.
Anthocyanins having the highest contents are cyanidin 3-glucoside, pelargonidin, and peonidin 3-glucoside.
It is widely used in the dishes of southwestern traditions which includes dishes of tortillas and cereals.
Researchers suggest that the blue corn tortillas have 20% more protein than the white corn.
They also have less starch and low glycemic index which may be good for dieters.
3. Red cabbage:
Red cabbage is a naturally blue food mostly occurring in the united states.
Cooked red cabbage leaves will eventually turn bluish-purple if soaked in a slightly basic condition.
By adding baking soda in the small amounts will turn it blue which is good for the flavor too.
But remember, it can still change color; if you add it to acid, it will go right back to purple.
Red cabbage is commonly used for the salad or coleslaw.
It can be eaten cooked or raw.
Red cabbage has a high content of vitamin C (44%) and vitamin K (72 %) per 100-gram amount.
It helps in the production of detoxifying enzymes during metabolism.
It may have protective effects against colon cancer as well.
4. Purple potatoes:
Purple potatoes are purple when raw, but when cooked they turn to be of brilliant blue-purple color.
Cooked purple potatoes are susceptible to the color changes due to acid but not as much as in the case of red cabbage or blueberries.
When exposed to the high concentrations of acid, purple potatoes turn to a very light purple color.
Packed up with anthocyanins, it possesses a leg over white or yellow potatoes regarding nutrients.
Anthocyanins are responsible for its purple color and also acts as an antioxidant.
They are high in potassium and help prevent high blood pressure.
One purple potato contains at least 110 calories and is an excellent source of potassium with vitamin C.
Don’t be fooled by their color while judging its taste.
It tastes exactly like regular potatoes and is cooked much like them except that it is from South America.
5. Borage:
It is a blue flowering Italian herb.
Added as fresh flowers to the salads or as a garnish to desserts, how will they not elevate your mood?
It is also known as starflower, bee bush, bee bread and bugloss which belongs to the plant family Boraginaceae.
Vegetable use of the borage is common in Germany, Spanish regions and Greek island-Crete.
It has a cucumber-like taste and its flower has a honey-like taste.
The borage seed oil contains fatty acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, eicoenoic acid, erucic acid, and nervonic acid.
The oil is often marketed as starflower oil or borage oil.
6. Blue cheese:
Blue cheese is another one of many blue foods on this list.
The blue color is dark and not susceptible to bleeding.
Blue cheese can be eaten as it is or can be spread, crumbled or melted.
Its taste seems to be sharp and salty and its smell is due to the molds and bacteria encouraged to grow on it.
The process of making the blue cheese is similar to the other varieties of cheese but certain ingredients are to be added to give this blue-veined cheese its particular properties.
Its main structure comes from the aggregation of the casein.
The huge portion of its flavor comes from lipolysis.
The metabolism of the blue mold further breaks down fatty acids to form ketones to give the blue cheese a richer flavor and aroma.
Like other dairy products, it has important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B-12 and calcium.
It is also high is in fats, cholesterol, and salts.
7. Butterfly blue pea:
The most beautiful and spectacular flower is the butterfly blue pea of the blue anthocyanins.
They are mostly found in the Chinese, Burmese and Malaysian cooking traditions.
They are also being used in Thailand to make a chilled herbal tea.
They can be used dried and fresh.
The flavor is light and herbal with a hint of cucumber.
The bright spectacular blue can be turned into the bright purple with the effect of acids.
If you are suffering from low energy, stressed feelings, sleeplessness or insomnia, anxiety, depression, constipation or low eyesight, butterfly blue pea is always a good remedy.
It can also help if you are facing hair loss or grey hair, or if your skin is losing collagen.
8. American blue lobsters:
The rarest of its kind, over 1 in a 2 million lobsters turns out to be blue.
It can be a great addition to an aquarium provided the circumstances are right.
Some lobsters get their blue color due to the mutations in genetics that cause the lobsters to produce an excessive amount of a particular protein.
The protein combines with the red carotenoids to form a complex known as crustacyanin that gives the lobster its blue color.
Some of the widely known lobsters’ recipes include lobster Newberg, lobster thermidor, lobster soup, bisque, lobster rolls, and cappon magro.
They may also be dipped in clarified butter.
The blue lobster loses its color when it is cooked and is turned to orange.
Nonetheless, is highly favored in some communities of the west like the United States.
At the same time, it is considered a taboo food in dietary laws of some religions like Judaism and Islam.
9. Cornflowers:
Cornflower is another blue food.
The blossoms are edible and can be used as salad.
Dried flowers can be used as a garnish as well.
The flavor is mild with a hint of grass.
People often use them for color.
To give a striking display to some tea types, some loose leaf tea blends include the cornflowers contrasted with the black tendrils of tea leaves.
They belong to the flowering plant family called Asteraceae, native to Europe.
By the overuse of herbicides, its habitat is being destroyed, leaving it endangered now.
The blue pigment in cornflowers is protocyanin which is red in roses.
They are mostly used as a culinary decorator, for example, to add color to the salad and an ingredient in some tea blends and herbal teas.
10. Indigo milk cap:
Lactarius indigo commonly known as indigo milk cap or the blue milk mushroom is of family Russulaceae and genus Lactarius.
It grows naturally in North America, Asia, Central America, and France.
It is an edible mushroom popularly sold in the rural markets of China, Guatemala, and Mexico.
When it comes to taste, it may feel slightly bitter or peppered.
The best flesh is prepared by cutting the mushroom in thin slices and then cooked.
The blue color fades away with cooking and turns greyish.
Due to the granular texture of the flesh, it does not lend itself to drying well.
Lactarius indigo is a delicious edible mushroom that is fun to eat.
When you cut the flesh or gills of indigo milk cap mushroom, it exudes a kind of milky, a latex-like substance which is the reason it is called indigo milk.
11. Blue marble tree:
Found in Australia, the blue marble tree bears edible fruit, round and blue in shape and color.
This tree belongs to the Elaeocarpaceae family and is known for ornamental flowers.
It is one of the big sources of food for butterflies, insects, and fruit-eating birds.
The indigenous Australians use the fruits for bush tucker and ornament.
The fruit pulp is edible when ripe with the sour and slightly bitter taste.
Europeans settlers in Australia use the fruit for pies and jams.
However, it can also be used for pickling.
It is known to have higher vitamin C content than the oranges.
12. Blue grapes:
Concord blue grapes are an awesome source of vitamin C and carry all the benefits of blue anthocyanins.
They can be eaten raw and can also be used in wine, juice, and jam.
They are also frequently used in grapes jelly, grapes pies, grape-flavored soft drinks, and candy.
They can be used to make kosher wine.
These grapes have larger seeds and are highly aromatic.
Blue concord grapes are very sensitive.
They are vulnerable to phylloxera, a small insect that feeds on plants eventually killing them.
13. Lingcod:
Lingcod is another one of many blue foods on this list.
Not belonging to the cod family, it is a kind of fish that only stays blue before it is cooked.
You may hardly find them in your local markets but they are conveniently available over the internet to buy online.
Around 20% of the total lingcods found have blue-green to turquoise flesh.
They occasionally have an alien-like blue tint to it.
But during cooking, the color vanishes entirely.
They are excellent-to-eat species in the entire ocean.
They have rich, full-flavored meat with the moist, coarse edible skin.
Lingcod can grow up to 90 pounds but the market size of it is around 10 pounds.
It can be cooked in a number of ways.
They can be baked with topping such as sun-dried tomato sauce.
They may also be streamed with herbs and spices.
14. Blue carrots:
Before the 17th century, most of the carrots were blue in color.
Regardless of the color, these carrots had same the same nutrients as the usual orange carrots we eat now.
Some of these nutrients include vitamin A and beta-carotene.
15. Jamun:
Jamun is a tropical tree that bears an edible fruit also known as Jamun.
The fruit is a rich source of Vitamins C and A.
It is native to southeast Asia.
This is another blue food that you might want to know about.
That is it; the list of blue foods is finished.
Do you think we missed some?
Let us know in the comments section.
