Technically speaking green tea is defined as having undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia. Unlike black tea, which is grown in India and Ceylon mainly, green tea is made from the leaves of the bush, Camellia sinensis and is associated with the Far East. One of the most intriguing question is whether it contains caffiene or not.
Green teas contain two caffeine metabolites (caffeine-like substances): theophylline, which is a stronger stimulant than caffeine, and theobromine, which is slightly weaker than caffeine. While coffee and tea are both sources of caffeine, the amounts of caffeine in any single serving of these beverages varies significantly. An average serving of coffee contains the most caffeine, the same serving size of tea provides 1/2 to 1/3 as much. One of the more confusing aspects of caffeine content is that coffee contains less caffeine than tea when measured in its dry form. The caffeine content of a prepared cup of coffee is significantly higher than the caffeine content of a prepared cup of tea.
Moreover the length of infusion with hot water and the number of times the leaves are reused can greatly alter caffeine intake. Using a given amount of green tea leaves steeped in 100 mL of water, experiments have shown that after the first 5 minutes of brewing, the tea contains 32 mg caffeine. But if the same leaves are then used for a second and then a third five minute brew, the caffeine drops to 12 mg and then 4 mg, respectively.
Well I hope that cleared up some of our confusions!
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