Black tea
Black tea comes from shoot tips of the shrub Camelia sinensis. The leaves undergo a lengthy process including withering, rolling, oxidation and drying.
green tea
Green tea comes from the same plant as black tea but it is not fermented or oxidised. It is heated soon after picking to prevent enzyme action. Leaves are then rolled and dried. Green tea contains less caffeine than black tea.
Herbal teas
Herbal tea is any beverage made from the infusion herbs, spices, or other plant material in hot water, and usually does not contain caffeine.
Well known herbal teas include chamomile and rooibos.
Decaffeinated Tea
Carslake tea is decaffeinated using the CO2 method where the flavour of the tea is retained.
The tea is essentially “pressure cooked” with this naturally occurring gas. At high pressures and high temperatures, carbon dioxide reaches a supercritical state. The CO2 becomes a solvent with its small, nonpolar molecules attracting the small caffeine molecules. Since flavour molecules are larger, they remain intact, which is why this process retains the flavour of the tea the best.
