Should I put lemon in my tea?

Drinking tea with lemon is a mistake for true connoisseurs and has little to do with the distinctively English tradition of tea consumption.

Even if you have discovered the wide world of tea some time ago and know more about it than the devil, I bet that at least once in your life you too have drowned a slice of lemon in your steaming hot cup…don’t say no!

Lemon tea: why not?

Actually, it seems that the addition of lemon in tea involves a radical alteration of the original taste of the drink, so it would be a habit to avoid if you want to fully appreciate the qualities of the brew we are about to sip.

De gustibus non disputandum est, this is true. But to enjoy tea to the fullest – especially in its finest varieties – the infusion should be consumed and tasted without adding anything: neither lemon, nor sugar, nor milk (as per Anglo-Saxon tradition).

Perhaps a drop of milk might be allowed to round out the flavor of a strong tea, such in a black tea like Orange Pekoe. But certainly nothing – and I mean nothing – should be poured into green teas, white teas, or delicately aromatic teas with floral overtones.

Tea with lemon: why yes?

As much as lemon may affect the taste of tea, it is also true that nutritionally it seems to contribute, along with a little sugar, to a better assimilation of the antioxidants contained in the brew. This is especially true of green tea, which is really rich in catechins.

What can we do, then, to take advantage of the benefits of tea without altering its flavor too much? A remedy that is not very “invasive,” but effective for health in the same way as lemon juice, could be to add a slice of orange to our steaming drink: we would have vitamin C to absorb the nutrients and a decidedly milder flavor.

And you, how do you prefer to take your tea: pure or with the addition of lemon?