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What Does Kratom Taste Like & How To Improve It's Taste?

What does kratom taste like? A question asked by many people, especially new kratom users. Well, kratom taste can vary from one person to another. Depending on who you ask, some people will say they do not mind its taste, while others will tell you it is simply bitter.

Do not let kratom taste scare you off, though – most people kind of enjoy its taste. The moment you get used to consuming it and experience the numerous health benefits it brings; its taste will become palatable.

If you are having a hard time dealing with the taste, keep reading to discover tips on how to mask it and make your kratom an enjoyable experience.

The Original Taste of Kratom

Even though kratom has promising health benefits, know that taking it is not a pleasant experience. Its original taste has been described as bitter, earthy, grassy, herbal, and sometimes pungent. This prompts most users to take it via capsules rather than powder or leaves.

The kratom powder smell is slightly mild but distinctively leafy, like fresh lawn grass or over-steeped green tea. Now that you know kratom taste horribly, what next? Will you shy away from taking this beneficial herb? Never!

There are several recipes, kratom tea, kratom smoothie, kratom cookie, kratom milkshake, etc., to restore your hope of enjoying kratom use.

Traditional Ways To Consume Kratom

Kratom is a tree in the coffee family and indigenous to Southeast Asia. It has been used for centuries for medical and recreational purposes. Traditionally, it was chewed by manual laborers to boost their energy, productivity and combat fatigue after a long day of work.

To experience its strength and euphoria, kratom eaters chew 1-3 fresh leaves at a time. The veins are typically removed from the leaves before chewing, and sometimes salt is added to improve taste and prevent constipation.

Some people brewed kratom tea in the evening for relaxation. The leaves were dried, crushed, and then turned into a paste that could be easily swallowed or made into tea. The dried kratom leaves are occasionally smoked. This amazing herb has recently made waves in the West, where there are endless ways to consume it.

Does Kratom Have a Natural Taste?

Most kratom users know the herb can taste really unpleasant. So what does kratom taste like? The natural taste of kratom is generally described as bitter. And reducing that bitterness can dramatically improve your kratom experience.  However, how to neutralize that horrible taste is influenced by your taste buds.

You can not get rid of the bitter taste at all. The best you can do is balance it with salt or sweet foods or foods with plenty of fats. It is like tricking your taste buds into thinking that you are ingesting sweet food, not bitter ones.

Improving the Taste of Kratom

There are various kratom strains, and each might taste different. Variations in how the herb was grown and processed or extracted can result in varying flavor profiles.

For instance, white vein kratom leaves harvested early during the maturation stage will taste different from red vein kratom leaves harvested when fully mature. That said, some strains might be taste-friendly to you, but several people may find them unappealing.

If at all you find kratom tastes bitter and horrible, you can improve it with:

Kratom Capsules

Kratom capsules are by far the easiest and most convenient way of using kratom to avoid the unpleasant taste. The best part is that capsules are not only readily available, but they also save you the time of doing extra work.

Just swallow a capsule with water, juice, or your favorite drink and relax. Like other capsules, kratom capsules are tasteless and odorless and would perfectly do the job without dealing with the bitter taste of kratom.

Kratom Tea


Brewing kratom tea is another pretty simple and effective way to consume kratom. All you need is just to boil some water and add measured kratom powder (use a teaspoon). After making the tea, the next step is to mask the taste by adding flavors to suit your preferences.

Sugar, lemon, honey, and sometimes salt are the most preferred flavorings – adding them to your tea will surely improve kratom taste. To your advantage, citric acid contained in lemon can effectively help breakdown alkaloids in the kratom.

Also, you can go for other tea enhancers in order to mask the bitterness. Some popular flavors that go well with kratom powder are green kratom tea, raspberry kratom tea, vanilla kratom tea, and fruit kratom tea.

Fruit Juices or Smoothie


Dissolving kratom in other liquids like fruit juices or smoothies will also improve the taste. Although most people use water (or toss and wash method) to ingest kratom powder, it is obvious water can not eliminate its bitter taste.

So, if you cannot stand the taste, you can mix the kratom powder with fruit juice such as mango juice and apple juice to make it more palatable. Plus, you will benefit from the vitamins contained in fruits.

You can prepare a kratom smoothie in several ways, and it will only take a few minutes. To enhance your smoothie’s flavor, you can leave the contents in a freezer for some hours. Also, you can increase its nutritional value by adding some nuts.

Kratom in Milk or Yogurt

You can also mix your desired kratom dose into a glass of milk to neutralize the taste. If that bitter taste is still too strong, add 2 to 3 drops of honey to balance it out. Kratom powder is fit to add in cold and warm milk, but it is advised to use warm milk as it dissolves kratom easily and faster.

Like any milk, adding kratom powder dose to your plain or flavored yogurt can effectively mask the taste. Even your preferred yogurt flavor will do the trick! And if you find the flavor very strong, you can add sweeteners like honey.

Best Ways To Take Kratom

The best way to take kratom is the one that suits you the most. It depends on whether you are a kratom beginner or enthusiast, your taste buds and your perception of what does kratom taste like. Besides, everyone is different and has unique kratom needs.

There are a variety of ingestion methods; capsules, powdered kratom, making kratom tea, toss and wash, adding kratom in food, kratom shots, and kratom cookies. Each one has its set of benefits and drawbacks; thus, you should try several methods of kratom preparations to find what works best for you.

If you are a beginner or just cannot tolerate bitter kratom taste, capsules are the best and quickest way to consume it. They provide an easy-to-dose kratom consumption with no preparation and no bitterness. Also, kratom tea is friendly to beginners because it works well with all kratom strains.

Most enthusiasts like taking the powdered kratom – ask them, and they will tell you powder is the best way to take kratom. However, it is no secret that kratom powder has a bitter taste.


If you do not mind the bitter taste, you can always toss and wash your dose or add to a glass of water and drink it quickly. This ingestion method allows your body to quickly and efficiently utilize kratom alkaloids.

Be sure to avoid smoking or snorting kratom unless these methods favor you or do not have adverse side effects. Smoking kratom can bring about side effects such as shortness of breath, persistent coughing, weakened immune system, decreased physical ability, and more.

On the other hand, snorting kratom can cause side effects such as nose bleeding, nasal blockage, nasal inflammation, lung infections, among others. These ingestion methods do not align with the general improvement of your health.

Taking Kratom Tips


One way to make sure kratom powder or capsules hits you faster is by ensuring that you have an empty stomach – most new users forget this. Taking it first thing in the morning or 1-2 hours after a meal is perfect. 

The effects are more potent this way. Besides, you can potentiate kratom with grapefruits, turmeric, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, etc., to make it much stronger.

Plus, always record how much kratom you dose, what time you usually dose as well as the effects you feel—keeping a journal will ensure your safety and avoid tolerance. 

Another essential part when it comes to using kratom is staying hydrated – kratom tends to hydrate the body, especially when re-dosed. Aim to take at least 8 ounces of water per kratom dose.

It does not matter the kind of strain you are taking – enhanced kratom, extracts, green vein, white vein, whatever – just stay hydrated.

What Does Kratom Taste Like; Closing Thoughts


The bitter taste of kratom can be improved in various ways, including the above ones. Let its taste not stop you from using this excellent herb.

Despite the ingesting method you prefer, consuming kratom safely and effectively will improve both your health and kratom experience. Start with a small dose and work your way up to a dosage that offers desired results.

There are various different strains of kratom, and they can be found in powder form, capsules form, leaf form, among others. Our products here at Kratom Krush will offer you a kratom flavor profile that best suits your taste buds and other special needs.