Bitterness in the teapot

[Xavier]

Earlier this week, I was having some tea in Hamburg in the Momentum (nice place to be) and I was asked a strange question…
They serve the tea in pots with a small candle under.
However, the more you let the tea on this candle, the stronger and the bitter the taste becomes.

When asked, the waitress said it was because of the oxidation and evaporation that goes on while the teapot is on the candle.

What do you think?

[Jackie]

*I didn’t see this question @xavier – it’s interesting. I know what you mean, it’s these little “Stoefchen” in Germany:  

You’re right the tea tends to get pretty “heavy” and dark. But then that happens to tea sitting in the pot, even unheated. When I make a pot of tea, and leave it standing, the brew always looks darker a couple of hours in. Even with filtered out tea leaves. You do mean, without tealeaves, it still tastes bitter? 

The evaporation explanation sounds plausible to me, some of the water evaporates, and leaves a more condensed tea behind. Keeping tea warm probably speeds up the process. Anyone else any thoughts? 

[Xavier]

You are right I should have post one of these and I meant without leaves.

[Author]

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