Do you have tea without tannic acid?

We come across that question not so often at Nordic Tea.
The short answer is: Yes, we have lots of teas without tannic acid - you are free to choose from all the products in our range! Because none of our teas have tannic acid.

How can that be?

Yes, simply because there is no tannic acid in tea. We understand the confusion though, as a quick internet search reveals a plethora of teas touted for their lack of tannic acid – and when the myth even thrives among professionals, it's no wonder it thrives among laypeople too. In this blog post, we give an insight into what tannic acid actually is and what connection it has (or doesn't have) to tea.

What is tannic acid?

The chemical formula of tannic acid (Acidum Tannicum) is C14 H10 O9. Tannic acid is found, for example, in oak leaves, and it was originally extracted from it for the purpose of tanning - softening and turning skin into leather. However, tea cannot tan leather, no matter how hard you try.

How did the myth originate?

It can be difficult to trace how a myth arises, and there are probably several explanations. One suggestion could be that the word tannin comes from the Celtic word 'tanna', which means oak or pine (as in Tannenbaum – Christmas tree). As wine is stored in oak or pine barrels, it gets both its tannic acid from this and tannins from the grape skins, in which it occurs naturally.

Tannin is a polyphenol which has antioxidant effects on cells. This means that in wine there are both tannins (which come from the grape skin) and acidum tannicum (tannic acid), which comes from the oak cask in which the wine is stored. Since there are tannins in tea, and since the terms are so close to each other, has there probably been a conflation of the two concepts; tannins and tanninum acidum. In this way, the myth of tannic acid has crept over to being part of tea.

Where does the bitterness in the tea come from?

If it is not tannic acid that gives the tea its bitter taste, then what is?
These are the so-called flavonoids. When they come into contact with certain proteins in the saliva, a bitter taste can arise in the mouth, which is wrongly attributed to tannic acid. Most of the flavonoids are released from the tea leaves during the first few minutes of steeping the tea, and they also play a cosmetic role. The flavonoids can react with the lime found in the water and settle as dark circles on the inside of the cup or jug.

What are flavonoids?

Flavonoids are a group of chemical substances under the collective term polyphenols that occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, teas, wines, nuts, seeds and roots. They are not considered actual vitamins, but flavonoids have a number of important nutritional and antioxidant effects and properties that can fight inflammation in the body. Finally, it has been proven that flavonoids can prevent or delay the development of certain cancers.

Are there other nutrients in tea?

Yes. Tea , whose Latin name is Camilia Sinensis, is mainly composed of polyphenols such as: catechins and flavonoids, alkaloids with particular emphasis on caffeine and theophylline, essential oils, polysaccharides, amino acids (such as L-theanine), lipids, vitamins and minerals.

What are polyphenols?

Polyphenols are often referred to as tannins. The primary polyphenols in tea are called catechins. Catechins make up 30 to 40 percent of the tea's dry weight. Catechins and flavonoids protect the body by preventing damage caused by free radicals (ie free agents that are not bound to molecules and can thereby cause damage by breaking down the cell). By mixing with the free radicals, these chemicals carry out a cleansing process, what we call antioxidation.

So let's be clear, there is no tannic acid in tea!

At Nordic Tea, we have a large selection of teas – of course completely without tannic acid. Among our wide range you will find everything from black tea , white tea , green tea , chai tea and much more. Explore our exciting selection of both well-known and special teas, and find just the variant that suits your taste. You are also welcome to visit our wonderful tea shop in Hillerød - here we are always ready to help you find your next favorite tea.