Tea report from New York : Regular or decaf?

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When ordering coffee in America, you're always asked the above question. With increased concern for health in this country, especially when managing your health can also influence career advancement, more people are avoiding the higher blood pressure and stress caused by caffeine.


The light fixture in Tea Lounge with a beautiful mosaic lamp	You can see the many different varieties of tea leaves

Naturally, there is demand for caffeine-free tea. Herbal tea such as camomile and peppermint tea have always been free of caffeine, but black and green teas are also available in decaf.

Caffeine free green tea may sound off, but I did discover "decaf sencha".
"There's always people asking for decaf" says Greg, the owner of Tea Lounge in Brooklyn. This cafe has 65 types of tea from around the world. The decaf sencha, for example, is made in China. Through a special process, 98% of caffeeine is taken out of the leaves.


You can see the many different varieties of tea leaves	Relaxing, watching the tea leaves swim in the cup

Japanese tend to be accepting of natural flaws that come with things they eat and drink, like fat in ice cream and caffeine in beverages. So they say "Tea has caffeine, so don't drink too much late at night." In contrast, the American reaction is, as with fat in ice cream, "Tea has caffeine so let's take it out!" This difference in attitude might be representative of the two cultures. But, even with Japan's long relationship with green tea, we might ver well see decaf green tea in Japan too.

Reporter:Keiko Taniguchi