Stash Decaffeinated Green Tea 18 Bags

A delicate, slightly sweet nutty flavor. Decaffeinated by using a natural European process that removes 99.5% of the caffeine, leaving the tea leaves with all the flavor, color and aroma you expect from Stash premium teas.

Green tea is the earliest type of tea ever produced, with most of it produced in China and Japan. The first green tea was exported in 1611, when the Dutch East India Company established a factory on Hirado Island in Japan.

In the manufacturing of green tea preservation of the intact green leaf is of utmost importance. Green teas are not oxidized as black teas are, or partially oxidized as oolongs, rather the tea leaves are plucked, steamed or pan fried (which removes the oxidation enzymes), rolled and then dried. The result yields a natural chemical composition in green tea similar to the fresh leaf.

Green tea is known for its high content of vitamins and minerals. Green tea contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in amounts comparable to a lemon. It also contains several B vitamins which are water soluble and released into a cup of tea quickly. Five cups of green tea a day will provide you with 5-10% of the daily requirement of riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, and pantothenic acid. The same five cups of green tea provide approximately 5% of the daily requirement of magnesium, 25% of the potassium requirement, and 45% of the daily requirement of manganese. Green tea also contains fluoride, which helps fight tooth decay.

Recent scientific studies have shown that green tea (black and oolong teas to a lesser extent) may reduce the risk of many chronic health problems. The natural chemical compounds in tea called polyphenols, have been studied for their health benefits. Polyphenols also give tea its characteristic astringency. The primary polyphenols found in teas are called catechins, which make up 30-40% of the dry weight of tea. Polyphenols are reported to suppress cancer producing cells, increase our natural detoxification defenses, and lower blood pressure.

Approximately 80% of tea produced in Japan is Sencha Green tea. It is made from the first and second flushes only. The first flush, or "Ichiban Cha", is especially delicate and grassy. This tea is steamed and fired as it is rolled. The last plucking of the teas is made into Bancha, known in Japan as "the workingman's tea". This tea has little resemblance to the light, bright green Sencha teas. Only 4% of green tea produced in Japan is actually exported.

Stash has created a decaffeinated version of their popular Japanese Sencha Green tea that has all the mild, nutty flavor with less than 2 mg of caffeine per cup (compared with 20 mg for regular Sencha and 80 mg in a cup of coffee). Stash Decaffeinated Sencha is made with naturally decaffeinated green tea using only the CO2 method to help remove the caffeine, while leaving full flavor. It brews a beautiful golden-green cup with a distinctive light flavor and no astringency.

Tip: To best enjoy this tea, bring fresh water to a boil and then let it cool for approximately 1 minute. Pre-heat your teapot by pouring in some of the hot water and then emptying it. Add hot water to the leaves and let the leaves steep for no more than three minutes. Pour into small cups and sip slowly.