Ask Fuzzy: Why does a dash of milk reduce the bitterness of tea?

The immediate effect of adding milk to tea is dropping the temperature, which can make a big difference to the steeping process. It only takes 8 degrees to halve the rate of flavour extraction. Black Friday Sale Subscribe Now! Login or signup to continue reading All articles from our website & app The digital version of Today's Paper Breaking news alerts direct to your inbox Interactive Crosswords, Sudoku and Trivia All articles from the other regional websites in your area Continue Compounds called catechins bind to casein in milk, which reduces their bitterness.

Picture Shutterstock A connoisseur will tell you that pouring from a greater height increases oxidation as well as lowers the temperature, although whether this is scientifically validated is another story. Most of the bitterness of tea comes from a class of compounds called catechins.Why Australia has a 'Royal Loo' built for Queen Elizabeth II These bind to casein in milk, which reduces their bitterness.



Then of course we can add sugar, or go the full monty and suck it up through a chocolate biscuit, but then it won't taste much like tea. Tea is a complex brew of compounds including phenols, flavonoids, isoflavones, terpenes and other technical words. The biology of bitter-taste perception is poorly understood, and humans are not good at distinguishing them.

It's ironic that the bitter flavours are a plant's way of deterring us from eating them. Perversely however, we've grown to like them and the tea's taste strategy actually encourages us to propagate it. The association of taste with toxin is a useful survival skill, but it isn't a reliable guide to toxicity.

Captain Fremantle discovered this during the founding of the Swan River Colony in 1829, when he tasted three "ground nuts" found in a campfire that had an inoffensive taste similar to roast potato. MORE ASK FUZZY: What can we learn from the skeleton? What is the Barnum effect? Is tossing a coin truly random? The next morning he was suffering the symptoms of poisoning. Then, in a curious twist to our story, Fremantle treated himself by drinking .

.. tea.

It's not clear what tea that was, but it acted as an emetic. Presumably not a variety we usually have at home. Fremantle was not the first European to make this mistake.

In 1697, the Dutch sea captain Willem de Vlamingh and some of his crew also poisoned themselves by eating macrozamia (a type of cycad). In the ship's journal, an officer wrote that the effects were so bilious, there "was hardly any difference between us and death". Of course, none of this was news to the local Aboriginal people who'd long since discovered that with the right treatment, they could eat the seeds.

The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@Zoho.

com; Podcast: FuzzyLogicOn2xx.Podbean.com Share Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Email Copy More from Canberra Ask Fuzzy: Why does a dash of milk reduce the bitterness of tea? 9m ago No comment s ANU staff cuts 'not related to international students': Clare 42m ago No comment s Best tech, home and appliances deals for Black Friday 2024: Save big this season! 2hrs ago No comment s Choose the perfect Christmas tree this holiday season 2hrs ago No comment s 'Cowardly' burnout enthusiast killed friend by trying 'something dumb', fled scene 2hrs ago Bunnings breached privacy with 'intrusive' facial recognition technology 2hrs ago No comment s Newsletters & Alerts View all DAILY Your morning news Today's top stories curated by our news team.

Also includes evening update. Loading..

. WEEKDAYS The lunch break Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. Loading.

.. DAILY Sport The latest news, results & expert analysis.

Loading...

WEEKDAYS The evening wrap Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. Loading..

. WEEKLY Note from the Editor Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. Loading.

.. WEEKLY FootyHQ Love footy? We've got all the action covered.

Loading...

DAILY Early Look At David Pope Your exclusive preview of David Pope's latest cartoon. Loading..

. AS IT HAPPENS Public Service News Don't miss updates on news about the Public Service. Loading.

.. WEEKLY Explore Travel Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe.

Loading...

WEEKLY Property Get the latest property and development news here. Loading..

. WEEKLY What's On Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. Loading.

.. WEEKLY Weekend Reads We've selected the best reading for your weekend.

Loading...

WEEKLY Times Reader's Panel Join our weekly poll for Canberra Times readers. Loading..

. WEEKDAYS The Echidna Sharp. Close to the ground.

Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. Loading.

.. TWICE WEEKLY The Informer Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday.

Loading...

WEEKLY Motoring Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. Loading..

. TWICE WEEKLY Voice of Real Australia Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. Loading.

.. AS IT HAPPENS Breaking news alert Be the first to know when news breaks.

Loading...

DAILY Today's Paper Alert Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! Loading..

. DAILY Your favourite puzzles Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Loading.

...