Did you know that all tea leaves come with a dose of caffeine in them? Some of them have more than others, with black teas being at the top of the list. However, there are people sensitive to caffeine and manufacturers found ways of removing it from teas. This way everyone can enjoy their cuppa anytime. This includes a before bed cup, that won’t keep you up late in the night. Even with the caffeine removed, the teas have the same health benefits and can make us feel and look great. If you have never tried decaffeinated tea, now is the time to do it.
What’s Decaffeinated Tea?
It’s important to note that decaffeinated tea doesn’t mean 100% caffeine free. There isn’t a specific percentage that will make the tea caffeine free, but it should have at least 97.5% of the caffeine removed. The tea goes through a process that gets rid of the caffeine and brings this product to caffeine-sensitive people. All types of teas can undergo this process, but the most common ones are green, black and oolong.
This is because of their high caffeine content which some people find unappealing. This type of tea can have around 1-8mg of caffeine. When you compare it to the regular 30-60mg in regular black tea, the decaffeination took a lot off. When buying this tea, it’s important to find a reliable supplier that ships caffeine-free tea Australia-wide so you can get your cup anywhere. But if you’re not a caffeine fan, you can always buy herbal teas made of dried flowers, seeds, herbs or roots.
How is Tea Decaffeinated?
There are different methods of decaffeinating tea, 4 to be exact. Those are carbon dioxide, water processing, methylene chloride and ethyl acetate. Each one of them works differently and has a different effect on the tea’s flavour and consistency. Not every producer states the method they use on the packaging, so if you’re worried about something you can contact the company and ask them about your concerns.
Methylene Chloride
This procedure involves soaking tea leaves in methylene chloride either directly or indirectly. Manufacturers also soak the water that’s used to remove the caffeine, and then return it to the tea so the tea can reabsorb all of the oils and flavours. During this process, the caffeine molecules bond to the methylene chloride molecules and get removed from the tea.
This is a method that’s well known for maintaining the tea’s original flavour. Even though this process is considered to be unsafe because methylene chloride leaves some traces of itself in the leaves, it’s still the most widely used process in the world.
Ethyl Acetate
Processing tea with ethyl acetate is considered a natural process because ethyl acetate is naturally found in tea. Caffeine is extracted using the same method as methylene chloride processing, using the same solution as a solvent. Some companies have first tested out this method and when they got positive feedback from their customers, they continued doing it. This is a popular method because it costs less and has low toxicity. But the tea may lose some of its flavour and gain some bitterness.
Carbon Dioxide
The process that involves carbon dioxide is also known as the most natural method. This is because it doesn’t decrease or demolish the tea’s flavour and health benefits. With this technique, tea leaves are essentially “pressure cooked” with this natural gas. Once carbon dioxide is put under the right high pressure and high temperature, it reaches its critical state.
During this stage, CO2 transforms into a solvent and its non-polar molecules attach to the caffeine molecules and remove them from the tea. Because flavour molecules are larger, they stay intact and the tea keeps its strong flavour. This is a more expensive method but it keeps the tea in its most natural state.
Water Processing
Decaffeinating tea with the water processing method is not the most common method in the world. Just a small percentage of companies that make caffeine-free tea Australia-wide are using this process. The tea is soaked in hot water for some time, it goes through a carbon filter to remove the caffeine. When this is done, the water is reunited with the tea leaves to absorb back all of the oils and flavours. The final result is tea with a watery taste that’s not so strong.
Is Decaffeinated Tea Healthy?
This is the most commonly asked question when it comes to decaf teas. People want to know if they’ll get the same health benefits as drinking regular caffeine tea. The removal process takes out not only caffeine but also some antioxidants and polyphenols, which means some health benefits are reduced but not completely removed.
This doesn’t make decaffeinated tea a complete waste of time and money. Studies have shown that there are plenty of antioxidants left to offer potential health benefits. The best and biggest benefit of this tea is that you can drink it any time of the day. Even before bedtime. You won’t get insomnia and get the jitters. You can also mix it with some herbal blends to help you have a good night’s sleep or get yourself ready for the new day filled with energy.
Most Popular Decaffeinated Teas
Rooibos Earl Grey
This is one of the most popular breakfast teas in the world and now you don’t have to give up on it because of caffeine. Manufacturers make this tea from the rooibos plant in South Africa. It’s brewed by using red tea that’s caffeine free. You still get the citrusy flavour from the bergamot without the strange caffeine-related side effects.
Thai Ginger Tea
The ginger plant’s root is steeped in hot water to make ginger tea. You don’t need to worry about caffeine in this tea recipe because there are no tea leaves added. To balance the spicy flavour of the ginger root, add a slice of lemon and a touch of honey. If you want something spicy with tangy notes, go for the lemon ginger tea.
Hibiscus Tea
This tea will win you with the wonderful magenta colour at first glance. It has a sweet and tart flavour very similar to cranberries. You can also brew it as iced tea on hot summer days to keep you cool and refreshed. You can garnish it with a slice of lemon or a hibiscus flower.
Jasmine Tea
This tea has a very delicate, fragrant and sweet smell that can have a very calming effect on you. Instead of using green tea as a base to brew jasmine tea, you can now use decaffeinated tea. You can do it with drier jasmine flowers from your own garden or buy them pre-dried from the store.
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