Bitter Tea Remedy

For some reason, I’ve been asked several times this week about how to reduce bitterness in teas. Comes up all the time, where people believe this is a normal part of tea, thus necessitating milk and sugar.

Let me first say that, no, it is not a normal part of well-prepared tea. If your tea is bitter, either the quality is quite low or it is the way you are preparing it. (Unless, of course, you like it that way.)

Next, let me say that I don’t prescribe to the idea that there is a “proper” way to make tea. There is just cause and effect.

So, let’s break it down. What are the causes of bitterness in tea? First, I want to say that, under the hood, the cause is the presence of certain chemicals, namely caffeine, theophylline, and polyphenols (catechins and tannins) which cause bitterness and astringency. I’ll lump them together as “chemicals” and their affect as “bitterness” (since people often confuse astringency for bitterness.) Different factors influence the concentrations of these chemicals and how they are released into the tea.

Keeping in mind, I am talking about tea (not herbals), here are seven factors that contribute to bitterness before the tea reaches your pot.

1) C. sinensis assamica. This is one of the first culprits. Most folks in the West drink tea from India and Africa where this variety is grown. It is a tougher plant with higher concentrations of the chemicals that cause bitterness. The Chinese variety, C. sinensis sinensis, is more delicate with lower concentrations of these chemicals.

2) Broken leaves. If you are using teabags or any other low-quality tea, this is virtually assured. Broken leaves release more bitterness when steeped. (Some teabags are improving this, and the relatively new pyramid-style bags do not inherently have this problem.)

3) Presence of natural sugars. These don’t reduce bitterness, but they do offset it. In fact, it seems to be the interplay between bitter and sweet that gives most teas some depth. There are a number of factors that affect natural sugar levels.

4) Season. Tea harvested in the summer is more bitter. Also, spring tea (which is generally the more prized) is second, in terms of bitter chemicals. Autumn and winter teas have the lowest concentrations (in that order).

5) Region and altitude. These have a great affect, but these factors introduce so many other variables, it doesn’t really mean much in terms of this discussion.

6) Organic. Believe it or not, all things being equal, organic leaves tend toward more bitterness. (Seems backward, huh?) A tea plant’s natural defenses to insect bites actually increases bitterness (though, they also give the leaves some desirable qualities.)

7) Oxidation. The more oxidized a tea is, the lower the level of catechins, and the less bitter a tea is (all things being equal). This is why white/green teas are so prone to bitterness if not prepared well, and largely why they must be prepared at cooler temperatures.

These are seven of many factors influencing the bitterness of tea. But, any tea can be made bitter, just as nearly any tea can be made without unpleasant bitterness. One qualifier here: some low-quality tea is beyond redemption. If you can’t make the tea without unpleasant bitterness by following these guidelines, the tea is probably no good.

These are directions for gongfu style preparation. I frankly don’t know how to make a decent cup of tea using the Western method. I’ve never had one that I thought was very good. I really don’t know why people use the method, unless it’s just a matter of economics. Gongfu tea preparation can use more tea, but it does not necessarily, contrary to popular belief.

I’ve heard it argued that gongfu takes too long or is too much hassle. Neither is true. I can be drinking my first cup gongfu style in about 45 seconds once the water’s ready.

The process for gongfu tea is well-documented all over the place, so I won’t rehash it here. I will say, however, that gongfu tea can be very simple. Most steps are optional. It doesn’t need to be any more complicated than:
1) Heat some water.
2) Put some tea in the teapot/gaiwan.
3) Cover with water and dump immediately (the rinse).
4) Add water again.
5) Wait a few seconds.
6) Serve.
Even if I draw the whole process out with several optional warming and rinsing steps, it only takes about 3 minutes. Less than a minute if I just do it simply, like I do on a daily basis.

But, this is about bitterness. So, assuming you are using the gongfu method, let’s look at ways to diagnose bitterness and other problems.

The three variables that affect bitterness in tea preparation are:
– temperature (higher = more bitter)
– steeping time (longer = more bitter)
– tea-to-water ratio (higher concentration intensifies existing bitterness)

Temperature and duration have the most effect on bitterness. A high tea-to-water ratio intensifies that sensation, but it does not create it.

Since gongfu method doesn’t involve significant variations in steeping times (most tea is steeped less than 10 seconds), the two variables you have to play with are concentration and temperature.

So, first decide if the tea is simply too strong (or weak). A tea may taste bitter, simply because it is much too strong. Assuming you are using the right temperature, adjust the strength by changing the amount of tea (or water), NOT by changing the steeping time or temperature. This is where most folks go wrong. In attempts to make a stronger tea, they steep for longer periods (or at higher temperature). This is begging for a bitter tea.

When adjusting quantities, be mindful of the fact that some teas take a while to open up, so may not fully wake up until after a few steepings. Balled teas and compressed pu-erh come to mind.

If you have reduced the amount of tea down to the lowest acceptable levels (still producing adequate flavour), and you are still getting a bitterness, consider the possibility your water is too hot. Guidelines for temperatures are just that.

Summary: First adjust/check your concentration. Next, adjust/check your temperature. After that, tweaking your steeping time a second or two can help fine tune the tea, but this varies from steeping to steeping (generally getting slightly longer). But, don’t use steeping time as a primary method of adjusting bitterness.

If you cannot get a good balance between desirable flavour and undesirable bitterness by altering these two variables (concentration and temperature), then the tea is almost certainly beyond redemption. I’ve never had a decent tea that couldn’t be prepared in this way.

Hope this helps someone.

Cheers.