Mixing tea with dairy products like milk, cheese, or yogurt diminishes tea's antioxidants like catechins, affecting health benefits and altering delicate tea flavors negatively.
Avoid pairing tea with garlic and onions as their strong, lingering flavors overpower tea's delicate aromas, disrupting the balanced taste and enjoyment of subsequent sips.
Avoid pairing tea with strong-flavored meats like lamb as their intense flavors and fat content clash with tea's subtle taste, detracting from its refreshing experience.
Adding lemon to tea is common, but pairing tea with citrus fruits like oranges or limes can turn it bitter due to acidity, upsetting stomach pH and causing discomfort.
Avoid pairing tea with spicy foods like hot peppers as it can overpower tea's subtle flavors and cause digestive discomfort due to tannin and spice interaction.
Chocolate, particularly dark, overwhelms tea's delicate flavors. Shared caffeine and tannins create astringency, potentially causing jitteriness and masking tea nuances.
Avoid mixing tea with alcohol as it masks tea's flavors, nullifies calming effects, dehydrates due to shared diuretic properties, and creates a harsh, bitter taste.