296637 Wed Mar 31 14:46:44 -0800 2004 5 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1634637 I am staying away from caffeine, with the exception of a bit of chocolate now and then. I'm trying to determine caffeine levels in jasmine tea. My mother insists that since it's from a flower, not a leaf, there's no caffeine. I would love to be able to partake in tea with my Chinese food. Does anyone know the answer or can you point me in the right direction? Thanks. Wed Mar 31 14:46:44 -0800 2004 0 Fifi 1 1634640 The Jasmine tea you ask about is actually available in both caf and decaf (herbal). The jasmine blooms (oils) are infused with another tea (green or black or whatever) and are not singly used as a tea. The blossoms themselves have no caffeine in them. Maybe you should check with the source of your tea if it is an herbal mix or caffeinated (often with a Black tea is caffeinated). Also, there are decaffeinated green these these days, so really check each one you may try. Also, often a regularly caffienated tea that has been de-caffeinated still has some caffeine in it. Stick with the herbals. Wed Mar 31 15:29:02 -0800 2004 1634637 0 kc girl 1 1634644 Jasmine tea that is commonly served in Chinese restaurants is just green tea (leaves) with jasmine flowers added to it. There's definitely caffeine in it. How much is a question of scientific debate, but it seems to depend, most importantly, on how long you brew. Do a search on the web and you'll come up with a bunch of different perspectives and discussion of benefits of green tea. Wed Mar 31 15:55:10 -0800 2004 1634637 0 MaggieD 1 1634668 I was in the same situation of not wanting caffeine but desiring to partake of authentic Chinese food including the drink. I began drinking jasmine tea since it has less caffeine than the standard oolong, and I definitely feel that Chinese food just would not be the same without this tea-- in fact to me it is really the essential element of a Chinese meal. The link below gives some information about Chinese tea. My personal experience is that most jasmine tea served in restaurants does have some caffeine, but not as much as oolong. The problem, though, is that since jasmine is lighter, I drink more of it, thus tending to cause problems of staying awake, etc. Personally I just drink the jasmine tea, and normally I don't have too much problem with it. Even good quality oolong tea seems to bother me less than American tea. If you really want to control caffeine intake you will probably have to select your own tea, and either drink it at home or take the bags with you when you go to a restaurant (I have almost never had a problem with having them bring a pot of hot water if they did not have a type of tea I could drink). The About Coffee and Tea web site contains some good information about teas and scientific articles on caffeine: http://coffeetea.about.com/ I have still not been able to learn exactly how much caffeine is contained in jasmine tea, but maybe you will have better luck. Link: http://www.index-china-food.com/tea-culture.htm Wed Mar 31 17:39:18 -0800 2004 1634637 0 Steve C 1 1634757 If you're trying to stay away 100% this won't work - but it's understood that the caffeine in tea comes out mainly in the first steeping. You can put the hot water on the tea, steep briefly, and discard the water, then add additional water and steep somewhat longer to regain the lost flavor. This supposedly results in getting rid of about 80% of the caffeine. I drink as much as a pot of tea in the evening and this is enough to let me sleep. Thu Apr 01 16:38:00 -0800 2004 1634637 0 applehome 2 1634765 Just received this in my Bottom-Line Daily. It is slightly off topic of caffeine, but does support the fact that most Jasmine tea will have some caffeine in it. All teas -- other than herbals, (which really aren't teas at all) -- come from the same plant -- the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What distinguishes one from the other is the fermentation process. Fresh tea leaves have a high content of catechins and flavonols -- both excellent antioxidants -- which oxidize during processing. White tea, the least processed type, is richest in antioxidants... then comes green tea, which happens to be the most popular drink in the world after water. Oolong leaves are processed about 50% more than green tea, says Dr. Higdon, and black teas go to the max. So if you, Fifi, can find someone that fuses the jasmine blooms with an herbal "tea" its probably a nuance and probably not in a restaurant. And, like you say, Fifi, Jasmine tea is an absolute pleasure with Chinese food. Thu Apr 01 17:55:04 -0800 2004 1634757 0 kc girl