The Chinese Tea culture encompasses its bitterness and astringency, all teas in the world have varying degrees of bitterness and astringency, to a greater or lesser extent. Many Tea enthusiasts compare tasting tea to savoring life, as tasting tea can help one appreciate the bitterness and astringency of life. The bitterness of tea is inherent, let's talk about the bitterness and astringency of tea briefly.

The primary sources of the bitterness and astringency in tea are the polyphenols, caffeine, anthocyanins, and catechins contained within the tea itself. These substances dissolve quickly in boiling water, creating a bitter and astringent sensation when consumed.

The raw materials for Yunnan Puer tea are made from large-leafed tea leaves grown in Yunnan. The ecological environment in the mountains of Yunnan is excellent, free from industrial and other forms of pollution. Centuries-old arbor trees have withstood the test of time. The soil in the mountains is rich and contains a high concentration of minerals and other nutrients. The content of tea polyphenols and caffeine is relatively abundant, making the newly produced Puer tea more bitter and astringent. This is the inherent bitterness and astringency of the tea.

In addition to the natural elements that cause bitterness and astringency in the tea, the production process can also contribute to these flavors. For example, inadequate withering after picking, insufficient fixation, or excessive rolling can easily result in increased bitterness and astringency in the tea.

The raw Puer tea produced will definitely have a bitter and astringent taste, which may be milder or stronger depending on the region. Whether it's due to the origin or the production process, the bitterness and astringency are inevitable. Therefore, different tea enthusiasts must find the right level of bitterness and astringency to suit their tastes in order to truly experience their unique lives through tea.

So, what methods can we use to reduce the bitterness and astringency of tea?

The bitterness and astringency are inherent flavors of tea, traditionally considered undesirable. Regardless of the type of tea, all contain some degree of bitterness and astringency. Thus, various processes have been developed not only to enhance the aroma and sweetness of the tea but also to reduce the bitterness and astringency, making the tea more palatable.

Puer tea, primarily made from large-leafed tea from Yunnan, has the highest content of tea polyphenols and caffeine among all types of tea. Additionally, the sun-drying method used in Puer tea production intensifies the bitterness and astringency in new teas. However, there are certain regions where the ancient tree teas naturally exhibit well-balanced flavors without requiring further processing or brewing adjustments.

For most raw Puer teas, if you want to deliberately avoid bitterness and astringency in the new tea stage, the only option is to adjust the processing techniques. For example, increasing withering, reducing rolling, or applying light yellowing can result in a milder bitterness and astringency, along with an increase in sweetness. However, these artificial measures prematurely deplete the nutritional components of the Puer tea, greatly affecting its aging potential. It is not recommended to use these methods.

For raw Puer tea, under the premise of not altering traditional processes, there are only two ways to reduce bitterness and astringency: one is long-term storage until it ages to a suitable level of palatability; the other is to focus on adjusting the bitterness and astringency through brewing methods, such as brewing at a lower temperature or quickly pouring out the infusion. However, it's important to maintain a balance of “moderately reducing bitterness and astringency without excessively compromising aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel.” Finding this balance requires experience and skill.

For ripe Puer tea, the bitterness and astringency are generally lighter, although some lightly fermented ripe teas may be exceptions. To achieve a ripe Puer with lighter bitterness and astringency, appropriately increasing the degree of pile fermentation can help reduce these flavors. However, moderation is key, as overdoing it can also negatively impact the tea.

People are naturally averse to bitterness and avoid astringency, so why do people say that tea isn't real unless it's bitter and astringent? On one hand, it's about experiencing the feeling of turning bitterness into sweetness, which perfectly aligns with the nature of tea. On the other hand, bitterness and astringency are important indicators of the richness of the internal substances in Puer tea. Without access to scientific testing equipment, at the very least, personally tasting whether the Puer tea is bitter and astringent and how quickly these sensations dissipate remains the simplest and most practical method currently available.

Originally published in the Puer Magazine

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