Teas and Trees

Caffeine

News

Featured Products

2 Liter Iced Tea Maker

makes brewing iced

tea a snap

Sencha Pina Colada

a summer favorite as

temps rise!

Cordless SmartKettle

heats water fast to

just the right tea

temperature

Urban Beans in Phoenix

now offer Souvia Teas

brewed in the shop

 Got a college bound

student – Set up them

up with the “Dorm Pack“

Latest Tea Menu

Teas and Trees

Kerstin and I took a nice trip to Yosemite and enjoyed to cool air and huge trees!  We brought along some new teas to try and tested out a new product a “SmartKettle” in our lodge.  The Smart Kettle made tea brewing fast and easy since it heat the water to right temperature.  We liked it som much it is in the store now…

As for teas,

• Hawaiian Breeze will be back soon.
• Organic Tulsi will join our lineup – we tasted two kinds at the Tea Expo and fell in love with the spicy taste  – We will have both a Purple and Green Tulsi
• We’ll have a Green Nilgiri on the menu – this is from the famous blue mountian in India but is a green tea, it has a unique flavor just as good as the black teas from that region

Caffeine: Friend or Foe?

It seems there is no real consensus among experts on the answer to this question. While some consider it harmful, recent studies praise its potential health benefits. 

Fact is that caffeine is a bitter substance, naturally occurring in some plants as their protective measure against insects and microbes – a natural pesticide! In the human body, caffeine increases metabolism and stimulates the nervous system, which leaves us more alert, feeling less tired and a little more cheerful. Negative effects such as heart palpitations, headaches and sleeplessness are typically the result of too much caffeine or sensitivity to it. For most people, though, the moderate consumption of caffeine is not harmful.

Truth is also, that the level of caffeine in your favorite drinks varies greatly and that not all caffeine is created equal.  Let’s take a closer look at the makeup and effects of caffeine in your cup of tea:

How much is in my cup? 

This is one of the most asked questions we get. The answer is: “It depends”. A variety of factors determine the caffeine content in the dry tea leaf and in the steeped leaf.

Since caffeine is a pesticide, the younger shoots and leaves have more caffeine than the more mature tea leaves. The type of tea plant, soil texture, climate, and elevation all play a role in how much caffeine the tea leaf produces.

Processing methods also matter when it comes to the caffeine content in your cup. Green and black teas undergo different processing and the oxidation step of black tea production changes the cellular structure of the leaf in such a way that caffeine is more readily available to dissolve in water.

Steeping time and water temperature have a great impact on the caffeine level in your cup as well. Caffeine is water-soluble and the longer it is exposed to water, the more caffeine molecules are released – in short, the longer you steep your tea, the more caffeine you’ll end up with. This explains in part, why your green or white tea tends to have less caffeine than your black tea. The recommended steeping time for most green and white teas is 2-3 minutes, whereas black tea is typically steeped between 3-5 minutes.

How does tea compare with other sources of caffeine? 

Due to the many factors contributing to the caffeine content, it is difficult to provide exact measurements. On average, however, an 8 oz cup of black tea has 85 mg caffeine and an 8 oz cup of green tea has 40-60mg of caffeine. In comparison, an 8 oz cup of drip coffee contains 135 mg, a 12oz can of Coke 34mg.

 Why does tea give me a lift and not a jolt? 

The caffeine in tea is called theine (tay-eene) and metabolizes differently in the body than the caffeine in coffee. Researchers found, for example, that the high

continued on our blog…..

Current Events

 Here’s what’s current –

• We know, we know, we have taken forever to get our Fall Class Schedule online  – it’s there now!
• Thanks to everyone who took the pledge to support local businesses during Independent’s Week  
• In addition to the SmartKettle and Iced Tea maker we also carry a simple electric kettle now. The feedback has been very positive on these time savers
• More good news for tea drinkers and their hearts
• Got a college-bound student – How about the our “Dorm Pack?” – a Zojirushi water boiler , Tea Magic, and Mug with your choice of any 3 flavored teas – $189.99 (saves $15 off of regular price AND the Zoji’s work well with college staples like Ramen and Oatmeal

Thanks for Reading…

Everyone did pretty well on the geography question last month.  This month we are offering an 50g of Tulsi, Hawaiian Breeze or Green Niligiri for three people who answer the following question.  What is another name for Tulsi?  Send your answers to info@souvia.com .  We had 3 winners last month for the Yoga Pura Certificates.  I will draw 3 winners this month…

We hope you’ll visit us in the store, at one of our partners or online soon.  If you can’t get in, remember… we ship same day and your tea will arrive quickly!