Are you looking to add a vibrant splash of color to your diet while boosting your health? Look no further than naturally blue foods! These unique and visually appealing edibles owe their striking hues to beneficial plant compounds known as polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins. These compounds not only provide the beautiful blue pigment but also offer a range of health benefits, from reducing oxidative stress to potentially preventing chronic diseases.
This article explores a variety of naturally blue foods, including vegetables, fruits, and even some unexpected items like mushrooms and salt. Discover how these colorful additions can enhance your meals and contribute to a healthier lifestyle.
The Power of Anthocyanins
The vibrant blue color in these foods comes from anthocyanins, a specific type of polyphenol. These compounds are powerful antioxidants that combat oxidative stress in the body. Research indicates that anthocyanins may play a role in preventing or improving chronic diseases, exhibiting antimicrobial, anticancer, and antidiabetic properties. They have also been shown to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Blue Vegetables: A Rainbow on Your Plate
Adding vegetables with a blue pigment to your daily meals is a great way to boost your nutrient intake and add visual appeal.
Adirondack Blue Potato: This potato variety was created by Walter de Jong and his colleagues at Cornell University and released in 2003. It has been successfully grown in Northeast North America. These non-GMO blue potatoes are organically grown in the US and boast robust nutrition with vitamins and antioxidants, rivaling the antioxidant power of spinach, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Their moist texture makes them ideal for mashing or frying.
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Blaue Kӧnigen Kӧnigin Kohlrabi (Blue Kohlrabi): This old German heirloom plant, introduced in 1914, features stunning violet-blue globes. Also known as a German turnip, it is related to cabbage and tastes like a mix of broccoli and cabbage. Both the bulb and round leaves are edible, either raw or cooked.
Blue Turmeric: This rare species, primarily used for medicinal purposes in Southeast Asia (especially Vietnam), offers a unique flavor profile. It features menthol and pine aromas with earthy, savory, and bitter notes, adding complexity to dishes.
Blue Carrots: Carrots were originally blue or purple and cultivated in what is now Afghanistan. Blue carrots, sometimes called indigo carrots, are rich in anthocyanins. They are believed to enhance memory, eyesight, and immune response.
Blue Curled Scotch Kale: This kale variety offers a range of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. It has the highest concentration of glucosinolates compared to other kale varieties, along with a sweet and nutty taste.
Blue Spice Basil: While its exact origins are unknown, blue spice basil is thought to be a cross between lemon basil and purple basil. This heirloom is an excellent source of vitamin K, which aids in wound healing, and vitamins A and C, which reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system. The antioxidants and iron in its leaves promote hemoglobin production for better blood flow.
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Dazzling Blue Kale: This North Carolina breed features purple midribs and blue leaves. It is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as manganese, fiber, calcium, iron, beta-carotene, and potassium.
Giant Blue Feather Leaf Lettuce: This lettuce grows several feet tall and produces crisp, massive leaves. It is a great option for salad lovers and can be easily grown or found at farmer's markets.
Portuguese Kale: Originating from Portugal, this kale is known for its mild flavor and tender texture. Its paddle-shaped leaves have a deep blue-green hue.
Sirius Blue Sage: This plant attracts butterflies, honeybees, and hummingbirds. Native to Mexico and Texas, it is a hardy, drought-resistant plant with edible leaves and flowers.
Chinese Blue Broccoli: This broccoli variety from China offers crisp stems and shoots with a satisfying crunch. The entire plant is edible, featuring a beautiful blue-green color and leaves similar to kale, with a nutty and buttery flavor.
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Vates Blue Curled Scotch Kale: This kale variety retains its tender blue-green leaves even in heat or frost. Grown in colder climates, frost can enhance its tenderness. It is rich in vitamin A, cancer-fighting antioxidants, calcium, and fiber.
Blue-Purple Fruits: Nature's Sweet Treats
While blueberries might be the first fruit that comes to mind, there's a wide array of blue-purple fruits to explore.
Blue Hubbard Squash: Also known as the New England Blue Hubbard, this squash is an excellent source of beta-carotene and potassium. With a sweet taste, blue exterior, and deep orange interior, it has a dense, starchy, and nutty flavor, similar to a sweet potato. The Blue Hubbard Squash holds up quite well in colder months thanks to its exterior. It came from South America by way of J. H. Gregory. He named it after the woman who gave him the seeds, telling him it was the best-tasting squash.
Blue Tomatoes: Created in Washington, these tomatoes have a deeply dark skin that appears almost black but is actually a navy blue/purple. Slicing them reveals a nice red flesh. Brad Gates created a cross between a Beauty King and blue tomato to create a beefsteak-style blue fruit. The outside is deep blue on the top while fading to red below. Inside is red too, with this delicious flesh ready to eat. Like blueberries, the blue beauty has high levels of anthocyanin, plus it’s rich in vitamins A, B, and C.
Blue Coco Snap Beans: These beans are a striking purple color when young. They fade to green when cooked but can be eaten raw in salads for a pop of color. This French heirloom has been around since 1775.
Blue Cream Berries: These cream-colored berries with splashes of purply blue are a Wild Boar variety, rich in anthocyanins and vitamin C. They also provide vitamins A and B, calcium, iron, and potassium, along with lycopene.
Blue Gold Berries: These gold cherry tomatoes have a blush of dark blue and purple where the skin is touched by the sun. They are small, ideal for salads, and offer a mild, citrusy flavor with robust juiciness.
Blue Java Banana: From Southeast Asia, the blue java banana is often called the 'ice cream banana' because it has a different flavor and consistency that’s similar to a custardy vanilla dessert.
Blue Marble Tree Fruit: Hailing from Australia, the blue marble tree fruit gets its name for its appearance, making it look like bright blue shiny marbles. The fruit is edible though the rest is not. Once, the nuts were traded and used for jewelry. These fruits have also been used medicinally and in religious ceremonies.
Blue Olives: From Sri Lanka, blue olives are another kind of Ceylon olive. Blue olives are almost perfect spheres with bright blue skin. The flesh inside is firm and green. When unripe, it’s more astringent in taste though ripe fruits give a slightly sour experience.
Blue Pearmain Apple: Rowan Jacobsen wrote of how beautiful and distinctive this apple appears. The blue exterior makes them almost look like plums, and the taste is a sweet one through firm flesh. This variety of apples ripens in upstate New York at the end of October. Don’t be alarmed that this fruity classic dries and shrivels while stored…it has a great flavor.
Blue Sausage Fruit: Some call it the ‘dead man’s finger’ because it’s long and blue, but blue sausage fruit sounds much more appetizing. There’s no meat here, just a unique blue fruit that comes from Northeastern India. The indigenous people there have long favored it for its pulpy freshness that tastes a bit like cucumber and melon.
Bluecrop Blueberry: This form of everyone’s favorite blue superfruit thrives in colder climates. It was developed in 1934. For nearly 100 years, these sweet blueberries have been bringing nutrition through those antioxidants to those who eat them. They’re extra large and extra sweet. These light blue berries are known for not cracking.
Brightwell Blueberry: Another blueberry you should try is the Brightwell. It’s a variety of Rabbiteye blueberry. This highly productive crop flourishes in the Southern US, yielding delicious berries that are a dazzling blue color.
Brad’s Atomic Grape Tomato: With an elongated shape, these colorful grape tomatoes are incredibly unique. They have lavender and purple stripes with a green interior that turns red when ripe. The sweetness they elicit is one that got Wild Boar Farms the best in show in 2017’s National Heirloom Expo. If you can track down Brad’s atomic grape tomatoes, you’re going to love the sweet, tart, and acidic flavors.
Candy Roaster Squash: From Northern Georgia, candy roaster squash is like a sinful treat in flavor with all that squash nutrition inside. It’s sweet and creamy when you bake it.
Cascade Huckleberries: Indigenous people consumed these cascade huckleberries. If you get a chance to taste them, they’re absolutely delicious. They also would make a beautiful fall centerpiece.
Concord Grapes: Here’s something unique about the concord grape. While most grapes started in the Mediterranean, this one was native to New England. It’s named after Concord, Massachusetts, where this grape was developed in 1854. It has a deep and sweet flavor with contrasting tartness for balance.
Crowberry: Crowberry tends to grow in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Native to Northern Europe, Asia, and North America, the berries are the only edible part of the plant. The twigs can be used to make tea. They’re best for jams, jellies, wine, and pies with an acrid taste. When you eat them, you’re treated to an excellent source of fiber as well as more antioxidants than blueberries.
Cherokee Blackberry: The vigorous Cherokee blackberry plant grows sweet, firm, and large fruits. These are rich in vitamin C and have high levels of manganese and fiber. Because of this, they are a satisfying snack when you need something sweet.
Choctaw Blackberry: When it’s fully ripe, the Choctaw blackberry is the sweetest. This thorny blackberry variety darkens in color as it ripens, turning almost black.
Damson Plums: These plums bloom late in spring, making them less likely to succumb to frost. It grows on a beautiful tree that provides a lovely contrast to the purple-blue fruits. Unlike other plum varieties, though, Damson plums are not recommended to eat fresh right off the tree. Waiting is important since it could be sour if you choose one that isn’t fully ripened. You’ll be rewarded with a sweet-sour flavor when you eat it at the right time. Still, others prefer to make them into jelly and jam as the addition of sweeteners balances the flavors.
** Blauhilde Pole Bean:** Hailing from Holland, these beautiful violet-blue pea pods are absolutely delicious. They will make a fine addition to soups and stews.
Filius Blue Pepper: When you think of hot peppers and chilies, blue is likely the last color to come to mind. But the Filius blue pepper is a unique one with deep indigo blue and purple colors. If you like spicy, find this one, and you won’t be disappointed.
Himalayan Blackberry: Native to Armenia and Northern Iran, the Himalayan blackberry grows quickly in sunny areas. Because it displaces native plants and shrubs, it’s considered an invasive plant. But the good news is that the fruits are quite edible and well-adored by berry pickers.
Jarrahdale Pumpkin: What’s great about the Jarrahdale pumpkin is that its beautiful slate-blue color is perfect for display. From Australia, this unique variety has a golden-orange flesh inside with a fine texture and sweet taste. It is so versatile that you can use it in just about everything from soups and stews to pies too.
Kennebec Purple Bush Bean: This heirloom pole snap bean came about from England, making its way to the Pacific Northwest. They’re flat and purple, adding gorgeous color to your meals.
Legacy Blueberry: Regularly touted as the most flavorful blueberry available, legacy blueberries are firm, medium-to-large blueberries. They have blue flesh and a small scar, and when they ripen on the bush, they have an incredibly sweet flavor.
Marina Di Chioggia Pumpkin: If you love the nutrition you get from pumpkins, give the Marina Di Chioggia pumpkin a try. It’s an heirloom sea pumpkin from an Italian fishing village called Chioggia. The unique bumpy exterior is a deep blue-green hue. Inside, it features a rich and sweet flesh that is yellow-orange in color. They still serve this squash along the canals in Venice, grilling it with olive oil for a sweet and savory bite.
Marionberries: In Oregon, over half of the blackberries that are grown there are called Marionberries. They came about from crossbreeding the Chehalem and Olallie blackberries, a release that happened in the mid-1950s after testing in Marion County. Hence the name! These berries are medium-sized and are longer than they are wide. You’ll recognize them from the shape as well as the color that appears dark purple, almost black. These are tart and sweet with a little earthiness.
Mountaineer Half Runner Bean: This beautiful pole bean comes from Bernardo, located in Northern Italy. What makes it stand out is that blue pigment. Because it is heat sensitive, it degrades quickly when the seeds ripen in hot weather. When ripened in cooler weather, the seeds are sapphire blue.
Powder Blue Blueberry: You can see why it’s called the powder blue blueberry with its powdery blue finish as it ripens. They’re large and grow in clusters.
Sloe Berries (Prunus Spinosa): Otherwise known as blackthorn, the prunus Spinosa berries. These are best for baking and boiling. The flesh is edible though tart when it’s raw. As for the seeds inside of the berries, they are poisonous.
Wonderberries: Wonderberries are incredibly tasty. These small blue-purple fruits are delicious fresh, or cooked. This heirloom plant features…
Other Blue Foods to Explore
Beyond vegetables and fruits, some other foods exhibit blue hues.
- Blue Salt: A naturally occurring salt with a blue tint, often used as a finishing salt to add visual appeal to dishes.
- Blue Algae (Spirulina): A nutrient-rich algae with a blue-green color, often used in smoothies and supplements.
- Edible Blue Flowers: Certain flowers, like borage and butterfly pea, have edible blue petals that can be used in salads, teas, and desserts.
Ways to Incorporate Blue Foods into Your Diet
- Start your day with blueberries in oatmeal or yogurt.
- Add blackberries and blue tomatoes to salads.
- Use blue potatoes for a colorful and nutritious side dish.
- Experiment with blue corn tortillas for tacos or quesadillas.
- Incorporate blue spices like blue turmeric into your cooking.
- Add blue spirulina powder to smoothies or other drinks.
Turning Food Blue: Creative Techniques
If you want to get creative with blue food, here are a few methods: