Decaffeinated Sencha

Delicious Chinese Sencha green tea - all the health benefits without the caffeine!

It seems that stories about the health benefits of green tea have hardly been out of the media lately, and green tea is becoming more and more popular.  But this is not just a modern fad.  China has produced green tea for millennia.  And until the 19th century, a cup of tea in Britain probably meant a cup of green tea.  As for health, it is proverbial in China that a tea farmer is as healthy as can be!

So what is green tea?  How does it differ from black tea?

There is only one type of tea plant, the Camellia Sinensis, and all teas come from this.  The difference lies in the processing and specifically in the degree of oxidisation or exposure to air after gently crushing the leaves.  Oxidisation is simply "rusting" of the leaves.  Green tea is less oxidised than black tea.  After passing though rollers it is left for a shorter period of time before oxidisation is halted by baking.

The last stage in the process is decaffeination.  This is done as carefully as possible to preserve the flavour.  However, it is simply not possible to produce decaffeinated tea that is as good as normal, so please see the suggestion below!

This Decaffeinated Sencha has a lovely, grassy fragrance reminiscent of a hay meadow in late summer.  The colour in the cup is good, a bright yellow-green which is clear and bright.  The flavour is fresh and slightly astringent giving it a pleasing feeling of balance in the mouth.

To enjoy at its best use one teaspoon per person and pour on fresh water that has been allowed to cool off the boil for a minute or two.  Brew for two minutes and pour.  Do not add milk.  If you require additional sweetness a little sugar or honey can be added.

If you love our Decaffeinated Sencha but do not need complete decaffeination, please consider DIY decaffeination!  Simply buy some "normal" tea (we suggest Sencha Fukujyu, delicious) and wash it quickly with boiling water.  Discard the water, pour more water on and brew as normal.  About 75% of the caffeine will have been removed!