Is there a consensus among serious tea people as to whether decaffeinated tea (actual decaf tea, as opposed to herbal infusions) can be legit?
Decaf tea
Started by
Fat Guy
, May 06 2011 05:56 PM
3 replies to this topic
#1
Fat Guy
-
- eGullet Society staff emeritus
- 29,291 posts
Posted 06 May 2011 - 05:56 PM
Steven A. Shaw aka "Fat Guy"
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)
Co-founder, Society for Culinary Arts & Letters, sshaw@egstaff.org
Proud signatory to the eG Ethics code
Director, New Media Studies, International Culinary Center (take my food-blogging course)
#2
SylviaLovegren
-
- society donor
- 730 posts
Posted 07 May 2011 - 08:34 AM
Can be legit? They aren't GOOD, at least the ones I've tried. But if you need something non-caf and you don't like herbal teas, why not drink decaf tea if you don't mind the taste?
#3
andiesenji
-
- society donor
- 8,838 posts
Posted 07 May 2011 - 10:57 AM
I've had a couple that are quite good (and I am fairly picky about my tea).
I like the Decaf black sampler from Adagio
Because the "flavors" mask the "cardboardy" taste I note in most decaf teas - particularly the blacks.
The decaf Earl Gray is also quite good.
Republic of Tea has an excellent British Breakfast decaf tea
and my favorite of all "flavored" teas, the Blackberry Sage decaf - which comes in tea bags
I have served both of these to pretty picky tea drinkers and they had no idea the teas were decaf.
The Ginger Peach Black decaf is okay but is not as good as the Blackberry Sage.
I haven't tried any of their green decaf teas.
I was given a tin of a decaf green tea from Serendipi Tea last year and have been slowly working my way through it.
It is excellent but I am not a huge fan of green tea to begin with so have not brewed it as much as I have the blacks. It's the plain one from Korakundah Estate.
I like the Decaf black sampler from Adagio
Because the "flavors" mask the "cardboardy" taste I note in most decaf teas - particularly the blacks.
The decaf Earl Gray is also quite good.
Republic of Tea has an excellent British Breakfast decaf tea
and my favorite of all "flavored" teas, the Blackberry Sage decaf - which comes in tea bags
I have served both of these to pretty picky tea drinkers and they had no idea the teas were decaf.
The Ginger Peach Black decaf is okay but is not as good as the Blackberry Sage.
I haven't tried any of their green decaf teas.
I was given a tin of a decaf green tea from Serendipi Tea last year and have been slowly working my way through it.
It is excellent but I am not a huge fan of green tea to begin with so have not brewed it as much as I have the blacks. It's the plain one from Korakundah Estate.
Edited by andiesenji, 07 May 2011 - 10:59 AM.
"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett
My blog:Books,Cooks,Gadgets&Gardening
My blog:Books,Cooks,Gadgets&Gardening
#4
pep.
-
- society donor
- 284 posts
Posted 07 May 2011 - 11:19 AM
Personally I'd recommend to drink more tea and thereby build up a tolerance level for the caffeine 
Maybe I'm a bit of a snob, but besides an occasional Earl Grey or Chinese Jasmin tea, flavored teas doesn't hold much appeal for me. My preference lies with (Chinese) green teas and I rather doubt that the decaffeination process for green tea leaves a result that is drinkables without added flavors. Besides, I haven't seen decaf teas around here very often.
Maybe I'm a bit of a snob, but besides an occasional Earl Grey or Chinese Jasmin tea, flavored teas doesn't hold much appeal for me. My preference lies with (Chinese) green teas and I rather doubt that the decaffeination process for green tea leaves a result that is drinkables without added flavors. Besides, I haven't seen decaf teas around here very often.
