Why does tea give after taste and what to do to avoid it?

Do you know that the finest teas can taste bitter if you do not make it in the right manner? If you are getting a bitter taste from the tea, it is due to the fact that there is too much tannin in the tea. The tannins are actually the astringents which are the plant polyphenolic compounds that cling to the proteins.

When we are drinking tea, the tannins find the protein molecules in the saliva, so our mouth turns rough leaving a bitter taste on the tongue. We get the same feeling when we bite the skin or the grape or any unripe fruit.

Some percentage of tannin is acceptable, as they are having certain benefits like reducing the blood sugar level, antibacterial benefits and boosting up the immune system. Different tea species have different tannin levels like the green and oolong tea has high tannin level.

Now, the question is – how you can avoid the bitter taste of the tea? There are various ways to reduce the bitter taste; the most important one is to keep in mind the tea preparing procedure.

Check the Quality of Tea

If you truly want to reduce the bad taste in your tea, you should check the type of tea that you are using. If the bitter taste is more than usual, then you are using a poor-quality tea. It is better than you choose high-quality loose tea rather than buying the tea bags.

Avoid Over-Steeping

It is the process when you are boiling the water with tea or letting it steep for long. Over-steeping of tea releases more tannin in the liquid. Try to slow down the steeping process to reduce the bad taste.

Be Sure About the Water Source

when you are preparing tea, you should be very much sure about the water that you are using in making the tea. The water that contains high chlorine does not taste good.

Add Sweetener

If you have already prepared your tea and it has a bad taste, you can add sweetener or water to reduce the tannin.