Not all infusions are suitable for any time of day. Some activate, others aid digestion, and others prepare you for sleep, and the difference mainly lies in one thing: whether they contain theine or not.
Before you begin: theine and caffeine are the same thing
This is the most common misunderstanding in the world of tea. Theine and caffeine are the same molecule. They were named differently because they were isolated separately in the 19th century, and the name stuck.
What does change is how it enters the body. In tea, it is accompanied by L-theanine, an amino acid that slows down its absorption. This is why tea provides a more gradual and sustained awakening than coffee, even though the substance is the same.
Practical rule: if it contains tea leaves, it contains theine. Green, black, white, red, matcha. Rooibos and herbal or fruit infusions do not.
1. Upon waking · black tea
It's the closest thing to coffee in its effect. Intense, full-bodied, and takes milk without separating.
English Breakfast Tea is designed exactly for this: strong, well-rounded, and with a splash of milk, it works just like in a British breakfast. If you prefer something more aromatic, Earl Grey Tea offers bergamot.
95 °C · 3-4 minutes.
2. Mid-morning · green tea or matcha
When the breakfast boost wears off but you don't want another coffee.
Original Green Tea is fresh and citrusy, easy to drink at any time. If you need more, Matcha Tea is ground leaf: you drink the entire leaf, so the dose of theine is higher and the effect lasts longer.
Green tea: 75-80 °C, 2-3 minutes. Boiled water will make it bitter.
Matcha: 80 °C, whisked 15-20 seconds.
3. After eating · digestive teas without theine
Here you're not looking for energy, you're looking to aid digestion. And at this time, theine starts to get in the way.
Pennyroyal Mint is the classic after-dinner drink: fresh, clean, and without theine. Chamomile goes in the same direction, softer and more floral. Digestive Rooibos contains selected herbs and is sweeter.
100 °C · 5 minutes, covered.
4. Mid-afternoon · rooibos or fruit teas
British tea time, but without compromising sleep.
Original Rooibos is smooth and naturally sweet, and since it contains no theine, you can drink it without watching the clock. Forest Fruit Infusion is fruity and works just as well chilled with ice in summer.
If it's still early and you want something with character, Chai Tea with hot milk is the perfect winter afternoon snack.
Rooibos: 95 °C, 5-6 minutes. It won't get bitter even if you steep it too long.
5. Before bed · relaxing teas
Nothing with theine, and preferably something that helps slow you down.
Relaxing Rooibos contains orange blossom, apple, and valerian. Chamomile also works here: it's one of the few that works equally well after a meal as before bed.
95-100 °C · 5-6 minutes.
How long before bed should you stop consuming theine?
Caffeine takes between five and six hours to halve in the body, and for some people considerably longer.
In practice: if you go to bed at eleven, the last tea with theine should be consumed before five or six in the afternoon. After that, rooibos and other infusions.
And if you are particularly sensitive, move the cutoff to mid-afternoon. Caffeine sensitivity varies greatly from person to person, and there's no point in following a rule that doesn't suit you.
A trick for steeping time
Almost everyone over-steeps, and that's where most bitter teas come from.
Tea becomes bitter if you over-steep it; rooibos and herbal infusions do not. With rooibos, you can forget about it for ten minutes without consequences. With green tea, thirty extra seconds are noticeable.
If you tend to get distracted, start with decaffeinated infusions and leave teas for when you can pay attention.
And in summer, cold
Everything above also works iced. Put 10 g of leaves per liter of cold water and leave it for 6 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Without heat, tannins are not released, so it won't get bitter no matter how long you leave it. The best ones for this are Green Tea, Red Silhouette Tea, and Forest Fruits.