Wanted: a strong bitter non-caf tisane

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Wanted: a strong bitter non-caf tisane

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1defaults
Nov 5, 2012, 9:21 am

Do you know of any? I'm a black coffee and pu erh person and I want to try and quit caffeine, but I'm not having luck finding things to put in my hot water that are naturally caffeine-free but not mild-tasting. My local tea shop opined that all uncaffeinated tisanes are relatively mild and unastringent. Is this true?

2LolaWalser
Nov 5, 2012, 9:43 am

"Strong" and "bitter" immediately made me think of that evil wormwood "tea" (it's not a tea, herb only) I bought once. Redefines "bitter".

3gmathis
Modificato: Nov 5, 2012, 9:10 pm

Good luck with that! Me, too. Still looking for the magic decaf that gives the illusion of a caffeine kick. Celestial Seasonings Roastaroma isn't bad as a coffee replacement, and I like the one made by www.ersatzcoffee.com. Vanilla Comoro (Harney & Sons) is a wonderful sweet decaf dessert-y tea.

But as far as a plain, unflavored decaf black tea that doesn't taste washed out...still wishing.

4Dilara86
Nov 6, 2012, 4:49 am

I don't know whether they're available where you are, but Yogi teas tend to pack a good punch. Their Jamaica contains roasted chicory and spices. Otherwise, plain chicory (the dried, roasted roots, not the salad leaves, obviously) is a good coffee substitute. You might have to try several brands before you find one you like, though...

5DanMat
Nov 7, 2012, 12:25 pm

Honeybush is a caffeine free tea that tastes full-bodied, not necessarily bitter though...you get that nice satisfying black tea afterglow nonetheless.

http://ourhometea.com/shop/images/205/Honeybush+Orange+(2).jpg

But aren't you swinging the pendulum here. Giving up black coffee is enough isn't it? Do you drink it all day? I think you'd be fine with the black teas if you just stop after 4 or 5 pm...the caffeine in tea is more gradual anyway.

Here's a chart:

http://www.shopsanctuaryt.com/skin/frontend/sanctuaryt/sanctuaryt/img/SanctuaryT...

What about green teas? Loose obviously. They can be fussy, but some have that puckering effect.

6Wosret
Nov 9, 2012, 11:44 am

I like Four O'Clock's "Chocolate Spice" fairtrade. Sometimes I combine it with a black tea to make chai, but it's quite full-bodied on its own.

7jglasser
Nov 9, 2012, 12:00 pm

The best tea shop I have ever found is in Richmond, VA.
The owner is a third generation tea blender.
They are wonderful to work with!

www.carytownteas.com

8defaults
Nov 9, 2012, 12:02 pm

Thanks for the suggestions. #5, I'm struggling with major anxiety attacks and apparently caffeine may be contributing—it really has to go. Wormwood and hickory are interesting suggestions, I'm going to try blending those with rooibos if I find some.

9jglasser
Nov 9, 2012, 12:28 pm

@ Darsu

Try Kava-kava tea....it can be used to help with anxiety attacks.
Best of luck.

10DanMat
Modificato: Nov 9, 2012, 5:06 pm

Oh boy, panic attacks are a real treat. I get them when I'm driving on the highway alone or going over certain bridges I'm not fond of. One day I will be panic-free. Doesn't help that you can't drive 65 mph on freeway nowadays. Sometimes I think it's from a too thoughtful imagination...

Conk yourself out every now and then with 2 ibuprofen PM, excercise, some pointless social interaction helps too in my opinion. The pointless the better.

Or have some Harney's Chamomile tea an hour before bed, that's almost as good as valium.

11MyopicBookworm
Dic 3, 2012, 5:17 pm

Not anything like coffee, but some lemon and ginger tisanes can be pretty powerful.

12DanMat
Modificato: Dic 10, 2012, 11:58 am

Ginger is all around good. I eat a little slice of it almost every morning. When it dries out, if I haven't gotten through the whole piece, I boil it and make tea and even ginger ale (actual ginger ginger ale!) later if there's leftover from that. Just a can of seltzer and some simple sugar!

13tkgough
Modificato: Dic 10, 2012, 12:46 pm

If you're having panic attacks, try Valerian. Tastes horrid, but you can add honey, if you need to. It's a calming-agent, like Valium, but without the side effects.

Or look for chicory tea or chicory-based coffee replacements. There are several at the health food store that are pretty good. I did chicory coffee for a while when I was weaning myself off coffee. If you get it with dandelion, it will also cleanse your liver, which will also help with the panic attacks. Or you can drink dandelion tea, which has a nice, bitter taste to it, and will also help cleanse.

14mkboylan
Modificato: Dic 10, 2012, 1:09 pm

I take Valerian in capsule form.

Trader Joes sells a good decaf Irish breakfast tea if you're near one. I use that and, if I don't cause a scandal, Liptons decaf bags and if you like Earl Grey Bigelow makes my favorite decaf.

15mkboylan
Dic 10, 2012, 1:11 pm

Sorry just saw you're in Finland so no Trader Joes. But at least you're in Finland!

16DanMat
Dic 10, 2012, 4:16 pm

Dandelion coffee. I gotta try this!

17tkgough
Modificato: Dic 10, 2012, 7:17 pm

I don't think I've ever seen Dandelion coffee on its own - it's usually mixed in with chicory. There's a recipe here, though, and it does include a dandelion root option: http://www.motherearthliving.com/cooking-methods/chicory-coffee-substitute.aspx