A purified tea extract with suppressed bitterness and astringency is economically produced in high yield and high efficiency by dramatically accelerating an enzyme reaction with addition of tannase in a smaller amount. A process of the present invention for the production of a purified tea extract includes a first step which comprises eliminating water-insoluble solids from a first tea extract and then obtaining a second tea extract so that a turbidity falls into a range from 0.1 to 100 NTU when a concentration of the non-polymer catechins is adjusted to 0.7 wt%, and a second step which comprises subjecting the second tea extract at a concentration of the non-polymer catechins of from 0.05 to 4.0 wt% to tannase treatment.
