Green tea naturally contains caffeine. Some types of green tea contain less caffeine than others.
You’re probably looking for a low-caffeine Japanese green tea. I’ll show you the most popular naturally low-caffeine green teas, as well as why their caffeine levels are lower.
Key Highlights
Japanese green teas low in caffeine: Genmaicha, Hojicha, Bancha, and Kukicha.
Green tea made from older, mature leaves has less caffeine than the one made from younger tea leaves.
The age of the leaves, brewing temperature, steeping time, quality of tea, and brewing method are all factors that contribute to how much caffeine you’ll get in your tea liquor.
Note: The caffeine concentrations of the green teas listed below are only approximations. It’s very hard to determine the exact caffeine level in certain teas since they are influenced by a variety of factors.
Low-Caffeine Japanese Green Tea Types
Here are a few of the most popular low-caffeine Japanese green tea types:
Genmaicha (brown rice tea)
Often known as brown rice tea or “popcorn tea”, Genmaicha is made by mixing green tea with roasted brown rice.
Traditionally, Bancha green tea is used as the base, but Genmaicha tea, made with Sencha, and Hojicha green tea are also available.
Depending on the type of green tea used as a base, the caffeine levels of this green tea vary.
The caffeine content of Genmaicha tea is typically very low, ranging between 4 and 10 mg per 8 oz (237 ml) cup.
Caffeine levels will be lower if Bancha tea is used as a base; caffeine levels will be somewhat higher if Sencha green tea is used.
Why is this brown rice green tea low in caffeine? First, the green tea used in the mixture with the roasted brown rice is low in caffeine; in most cases, it is Bancha.
Second, it’s a blend of green tea and rice. Because rice has no caffeine, a teaspoon of this tea will contain half tea and half rice. As a result, less caffeine will be extracted.
This ratio of rice to green tea varies, so the caffeine levels will vary too. The more toasted brown rice there is, the less caffeine there will be.
Tip
Always opt for Genmaicha made with Bancha to minimize the caffeine content.
The best aspect of this tea is that you can prepare it yourself at home by roasting rice and combining it with green tea.
It’s really that easy, and here’s a complete article about Genmaicha tea and how to make it at home.
Hojicha
This is roasted Japanese green tea made by roasting Bancha, Sencha, or Kukicha green tea leaves. The concentration of caffeine in Hojicha green tea varies depending on the type of leaves used for roasting.
Usually, an 8 oz (237 ml) cup of Hojicha green tea contains approximately 7.7 mg of caffeine.
Hojicha produced from mature Bancha tea leaves contains less caffeine than Hojicha created from roasted Sencha green tea leaves.
Tip
Hojicha made by roasting Kukicha has the lowest caffeine levels.
This roasted green tea has less caffeine than other types of green tea because of the roasting process and the leaves and stems used to make it.
Roasting the tea leaves (applying heat) changes the chemical structure of the leaves, decreasing the caffeine content.
Another, and maybe the most important, factor in Hojicha’s low caffeine content is the use of older leaves and stems picked later in the season that are already lower in caffeine.
Because of its low caffeine levels, Hojicha is widely used as a base for sweet treats.
For this purpose, it’s usually ground Hojicha, known as Hojicha powder. Additionally, today this powder, similar to matcha but lighter brown in color, is used for making lattes, chocolate chip cookies, hot chocolate, etc.
Bancha
This is another low-caffeine green tea from Japan. Bancha green tea distinguishes itself from Sencha (the most commonly consumed green tea in Japan) in that it is of a lower grade.
Bancha tea is plucked later in the year, around fall, and the tea comes from the more mature and lower leaves of the tea plant. As a result, the caffeine levels of Bancha are lower compared to those of Sencha green tea.
The caffeine content of Bancha green tea is low, usually around 10 mg per 8 oz (237 ml) cup.
Good to Know
When re-steeping Bancha green tea, the 2nd, and 3rd infusion will have even lower caffeine levels.
Furthermore, there are various types of Bancha, and when it comes to caffeine content, it’s worth mentioning Sannen Bancha or Three-Year Bancha tea.
What makes Sannen Bancha tea interesting? Because this is Bancha that has been plucked, roasted, aged for three years, and afterward roasted once more. The caffeine content of Sannen Bancha tea is much lower than that of other Bancha kinds.
Sannen Bancha would technically become classified as a Hojicha rather than a Bancha under Japan’s labeling law because of the roasting process applied.
Because Bancha is considered a lower-grade, less costly tea, it is typically used as the foundation for Hojicha and Genmaicha (popcorn tea), both of which are low-caffeine green teas.
Most people can’t tell the difference between Bancha and Sencha tea. The simplest method is to compare prices. Bancha green tea is always less expensive than Sencha green tea.
Kukicha (Twig Tea)
Also known as twigs or stem tea, Kukicha is a low-caffeine Japanese green tea made from the twigs and stems of the tea plant instead of the tea leaves.
Caffeine is concentrated around the tea leaves and very little in the stems because caffeine is produced by the tea plant to protect the leaves from insects.
Because the stems used to make Kukicha have significantly less caffeine than the leaves, this tea has only around one-third of the caffeine found in the leaves.
Furthermore, the stems are harder than the leaves. This results in less caffeine being extracted into the liquor when brewing Kukicha tea.
Kukicha tea contains about 25 mg of caffeine per 8 oz (237 ml) cup or 3 mg per fl oz.
There are several types of Kukicha, and the caffeine content varies depending on which one you pick. Kukicha from Sencha, Kukicha from Gyokuro, Kukicha from Bancha, and so on.
Kukicha from Bancha is of lower quality, although it is less expensive than the other types.
Why Is the Caffeine Content of These Green Teas Low?
Caffeine is primarily produced by the tea plant as a defense mechanism against insects.
Because caffeine is mostly concentrated on the outer surface of the plant’s tea leaves, all true teas, or teas produced from the Camellia sinensis plant, contain caffeine.
Some green teas contain more caffeine than others.
So, what is the reason for this? Because the tea plant’s younger leaves are more tender and vulnerable to insects, they require more caffeine to defend themselves.
On the other hand, the older, more mature leaves are much tougher. They don’t require as much protection, and thus they don’t create as much caffeine.
Good to Remember
Green teas made from younger leaves, such as Gyokuro or Matcha, have more caffeine than green teas made from older leaves, such as Bancha or Hojicha.
Other factors that impact the caffeine content of certain green tea, aside from the age of the tea leaves, are:
Water Temperature: Caffeine requires a higher temperature to be fully extracted. If you want less caffeine in your tea, consider using lower-temperature water.
How you brew the tea: When you brew your tea for the first time, most of the caffeine is extracted from the leaves. So, for the 2nd or 3rd infusion, you will get tea liquor with lower caffeine levels.
Steeping Time: A longer steeping time will yield more caffeine. Shortening the steeping time will result in less caffeine in your tea.
Tea Grades: Caffeine is extracted faster from lower-quality green tea with broken leaves than from high-quality green tea with whole, unbroken tea leaves.
Read More: Green Tea vs. Coffee Caffeine: Which Is Better for You?
As you can see, several factors impact the caffeine levels of specific green teas. It’s usually a good idea to ask your tea provider about the caffeine levels of the tea you want to buy.
The Takeaway
Green tea has less caffeine than other teas from the Camellia sinensis plant. Despite this, some types of green tea contain higher or lower levels of caffeine.
Hojicha, Genmaicha, Bancha, and Kukicha are Japanese green teas naturally low in caffeine.
Compared to black coffee’s caffeine level, which is around 95 mg per 8-oz cup, these green teas are super caffeine-low. They are a great alternative for people who like to lower their caffeine intake.
Finally, if you like to make comparisons, here is a detailed article on high-caffeine teas where you can see the caffeine levels of different teas and which one is high-caffeinated (a great coffee alternative).
