Tea & Caffeine
By Ron Campbell, Owner of Merkaba
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It is an interesting fact that the Chinese, Japanese, India, Ceylon etc. teas all come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. However, they taste different and contain different amounts of caffeine because of the drying, withering and oxidation process.

Teas are categorized by the drying and oxidation process they undergo.
· White tea is the least handled- only being plucked, withered and baked.
· Green tea is steamed, withered, then steamed again or pan fried.
· Oolongs (which cover a wide range of processes) is withered, basket tossed (witch initiates oxidation) then pan fried. Oxidation is between 10% to 75%.
· Black teas are fully oxidized. The tea leaf is withered, roll broken and/or cut and bruised and then finished with forced hot air.
· Tisanes are not tea and do not contain tea. Tisanes contain herbs, spices or fruit to create flavor profiles. Most Tisanes are naturally caffeine free.

While one variety of tea may contain less caffeine than another, all teas do contain caffeine. The average cup of black tea contains 50-75 mg of caffeine, less than half the amount found in coffee. The average cup of green tea contains 30-50 mg of caffeine. White is around 5-15mg and most tisanes are caffeine-free.

When decaffeinated at a factory, typically, either a Co2 or chemical process is utilized. In our personal opinion, we are exposed to an abundance of chemicals in or daily living without the necessity of voluntarily submitting ourselves to more. Also, in some taste comparisons we have found that the Co2 process alters the taste ever so slightly. Isn’t taste and quality what drinking loose leaf tea is all about? 80 to 90% of the caffeine comes out in the first 30 to 45 seconds of brewing. This is the exact same amount remaining if you purchase tea that has already been decaffeinated. So if you would like a near caffeine free tea, brew it for 30 to 45 seconds, pour out the liquor and then reuse the leaves to brew a cup to enjoy!

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Ron Campbell and his wife Kathy own and operate Merkaba, which features a wide variety of teas and tea items, and gifts for all your spiritual and cultural needs. Their teas come from all over the world and include organic herbal teas, healing teas, Yerba Mate, green teas, black teas, oolong, white teas, pu-erh, flavored tisanes, chai teas, flavored and blended teas. You'll find all kinds of tea products including filters, thermometers, tea bag squeezers, tea cozies, gourds, tea pots and tea sets, mugs and cups, mesh tea infusers, bombilla and even coffee and tea scoops. For more information about Merkaba's retail shop in Idyllwild, CA, or online store visit: http://www.southwestblend.com/merkaba/index.htm