For various reasons, tea lovers might need to significantly cut back on caffeine or eliminate it completely. If you’re in this situation and need an alternative to the caffeinated teas you used to drink, there are numerous options available. Here are a few of our infusion picks.

With so many teas available, it can be overwhelming to know where to start, especially if you’re new to the tea world. The four big categories of tea from the Camellia sinensis plant are black, oolong, green, and white. Teas are sorted into these categories based on the extent to which the leaves are oxidized during processing. We’ll focus on these big categories to help you get started, but be aware there are additional varieties, as well as countless herbal infusions made from other plants.

As I sip sencha and feel its steam on my face, its grassy fragrance awakening my senses and energizing me for the day ahead, I take my place at the kitchen window and watch the sun rising over the treeline.

We are so thrilled to introduce today Martin, owner of “Eighty Degrees”, a beautifully crafted, independent magazine all about tea culture! We, at Arigato Travel, are really passionate about tea, being a huge part of Japanese Culture. And because we know a lot of our readers love it too, we want to introduce to you their amazing work! Let’s find out more.

With so many teas available on the global market, it can be challenging to make sure the tea you’re purchasing was ethically sourced. Various certifications stamped on tea packaging seem to indicate something about fair labor practices or environmental sustainability, but what exactly do those certifications promise? 

A gaiwan is one of many traditional vessels used to brew tea. The gaiwan is an unassuming small bowl, but its distinctive feature is its lid, which is held ajar to strain the tea as it is poured. This Chinese teaware dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), and can be made of porcelain, clay, or glass.

All green tea is made from Camellia sinensis leaves that have not gone through the oxidation process that produces oolong and black teas. But there are countless varieties of green tea on the market, and a lot of variation in the experience of consuming them.

All true tea comes from the same species of plant, Camellia sinensis, but the differences in processing methods are what distinguish teas as white, green, oolong, or black. To produce black tea, dried leaves are allowed to oxidize longer than the other types of tea. The result is a dark, and tannin-rich brew.

If you’re a tea drinker, perhaps you’ve wondered how much caffeine you’re consuming each time you finish off a cup. The answer is: It’s complicated. Caffeine content depends on many factors, some of which are within your control as the consumer, and some of which are not. Instead of aiming to calculate the exact amount of caffeine in your tea, it’s more plausible to identify an estimated range of caffeine levels, as well as the relative differences between different types of tea.

Hojicha is green tea from Japan that has been steamed, dried, and then roasted. The taste of hojicha can be described as reminiscent of caramel, cocoa, or nuts, but every hojicha product has its own unique flavor profile, the same as any other tea. Much of the tea’s caffeine degrades during the roasted process, so hojicha is a good option for tea drinkers who are sensitive to caffeine, or those who want to drink tea close to bedtime.

The health benefits of green tea have been touted for centuries. Modern studies have verified that ancient wisdom, and some have indicated green tea even has more health benefits than other types of tea. But there is no such thing as a miraculous, cure-all botanical, despite abundant marketing claims that the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is one.

Dear Reader,

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the next issue (09), and there has been an influx of new subscribers recently, so I thought it appropriate to send you an update.

Suddenly, all of the passengers — young salarymen, mothers on day trips with their children, and a few foreigners like me — turn their eyes to the windows on my side of the train.

Matcha has been consumed in Asia for centuries, but in the last decade or so, matcha has become hugely popular in the West. But with so many matcha products available and no official standards for evaluation, it can be difficult for Western consumers to determine the differences in quality among these products.

Most of the northern hemisphere is still in the peak heat of summer. In some places — like subtropical Florida, where I live — we still have at least a few more months of sticky, sweltering weather before the air starts to cool off. Cold brew tea gets me through times like these.

Should you drink tea packaged in tea bags, or loose leaf tea? The answer is multi-faceted and it depends on your personal preferences and priorities. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but you need to ask yourself what you expect out of your brew: quality or convenience, and at what price.