The Exotic Teapot

Last week, my sister held a small afternoon gathering where she served iced tea. I had reservations about drinking it because it was cloudy, unlike the iced tea that I drink at home and in restaurants. But I drank it anyway, and it tasted good.

Is it really alright to drink cloudy iced tea? What makes iced tea cloudy anyway?

First off, I don't think there is any real danger in drinking cloudy iced tea. But clear iced tea is always better, of course.

The quality of the water you sister used may affect the clarity of the tea. She should make sure the water is of premium quality.

You should also share with her the basic rule in preparing cold/iced tea -- not to refrigerate the tea right after steeping. The tea should be allowed to cool at room temperature for a while.

Tannins cause your tea to be cloudy. If you cool your tea too fast, it becomes cloudy since the tannins and some other particles somehow get out of the solution. There are actually special blends for iced tea. They contain fewer tannins.

As for me, as long as the cloudiness does not affect the taste, it does not really matter much.