How to Make Palo Azul Tea, and Why the Water Turns Blue

Palo azul is a wood, not a leaf, so it is not brewed like a tea. It is simmered. That single difference is why most people who try it for the first time end up with something pale and disappointing.

Here is the method with real numbers, and an explanation of the blue colour that almost nobody gets right.

Written by Suhail Rivera, founder of Alkaline Herb Shop. We bring our palo azul from Mexico, so the notes below come from working with it.

What you need

• 1 to 2 pieces of palo azul wood chips, about 1 ounce
• 1 to 2 litres of water
• A pot and a strainer

Note the scale. This is not a single cup. Palo azul is made by the jug, which is how it is drunk in Mexico.

The method

1. Add the wood to the water

About 1 ounce of chips to 1 to 2 litres. Use the smaller volume of water if you want it stronger.

2. Boil gently for 20 to 30 minutes

This is the step that matters. Wood gives up its compounds slowly. A five minute steep, which is right for a leaf, does almost nothing to a chip of hardwood.

Keep it at a gentle boil rather than a hard rolling one.

3. Watch for the colour

Somewhere in that window the water changes. You are done when it has turned blue or amber, depending on your water and your light.

4. Strain

Drink it hot, or chill it. Iced palo azul is how most people have it.

5. Keep the chips

You can brew the same chips a second time. The second jug comes out lighter but it is far from spent. This is one of the reasons a 4 oz bag goes a long way.

Why the water turns blue

The name means blue stick in Spanish, and it earns it.

What you are seeing is fluorescence, not dye. Compounds released from the wood absorb light at one wavelength and give it back at another. The practical effect is that the same jug genuinely looks blue from one angle and amber from another, depending on how the light hits it. Hold it up to a window and it shifts.

This is not a party trick or a modern discovery. European naturalists wrote it up in the sixteenth century, and palo azul is one of the oldest recorded observations of fluorescence in any material anywhere. Long before anyone had a word for what was happening, people were noticing that this particular wood made water glow.

Why mine is not blue

The most common question we get, and there are four ordinary answers.

You did not boil it long enough. By far the most likely. Give it the full 20 to 30 minutes.

Too much water. One ounce of chips in four litres will be weak in every way, colour included.

Your water chemistry. Mineral content and pH both affect how strongly the effect shows. This varies by household and there is nothing wrong with either the wood or your kitchen.

Your lighting. Fluorescence needs light to work with. The same jug looks different by a window and under a kitchen bulb. Try it in daylight before deciding.

Amber tea is not a failed batch. Blue and amber are the same liquid seen differently.

What it tastes like

Mild, lightly woody, faintly sweet. Nothing like as assertive as its reputation suggests, and there is no caffeine. If you were braced for something medicinal you will be pleasantly surprised.

Questions we get

What is palo azul in English?
Kidneywood. You will also see it spelled palo azule, and in parts of Mexico it is called palo dulce. The tree is Eysenhardtia polystachya.

Can I make just one cup?
You can, but it is awkward. The traditional proportions are built around a jug, and it keeps for days in the fridge, so making a batch is easier.

How long does the brewed tea keep?
A few days refrigerated in a covered jug.

Should I use a lid?
Partly covered is fine. Unlike a leaf tea you are not trying to trap aromatics, you are extracting from wood.

How many jugs does a 4 oz bag make?
A 4 oz bag is roughly four batches at 1 ounce each, and each batch brews twice, so figure on around eight jugs from one bag.

Where is yours from?
Mexico, and it is printed on the bag.

How do I store the chips?
Tightly closed in a dry place at room temperature, 59 to 86°F. Dry wood keeps a very long time.

Where to get it

We sell palo azul wood chips, 4 oz, organic or wildcrafted, from Mexico. Just the wood, nothing added.

You can see the rest of our loose herbs as well.

Other woods and barks we simmer the same way

• Cuachalalate, a mild Mexican bark, and how to prepare it
• Quassia chips, one of the most bitter plants on earth, which needs a much shorter brew
• Palo guaco bark, from Honduras

Precautions

• Not for use during pregnancy or nursing.
• Individuals under 18 and individuals with known medical conditions should consult a physician before use.

Suhail Rivera is not a medical professional. This article is about how to prepare a drink and it is not medical advice. Speak to your physician before starting any new herb or supplement, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition.