Any tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant, regardless of the type of tea, contains caffeine. Herbal teas and fruit teas that are actually brewed do not contain caffeine. There are herbs that contain caffeine and have a very stimulating effect, such as guarana, yerba mate, and guayosa. Even herbal tea can contain a certain amount of caffeine, although this amount is almost negligible compared to black tea. The amount of caffeine in tea varies depending on the type of tea, so some green teas can have more and others less. The caffeine in tea is called theine, although it’s actually the same compound.

Approximate amount of caffeine in the drink (in milligrams)*

Coffee 40-170

White tea 6-20

Oolong tea 9-50

Green tea 8-30

Black tea 40-100

Masala Chai 20-50

*Assuming 100 ml of water for brewing.

There are countless types of tea. Each falls into one of the six main categories of tea (white, yellow, green, oolong, black, fermented), which again contain many subcategories, and each subcategory contains hundreds of varieties, depending on where it is grown and when. Harvesting, production process, quality and leaf shape. In addition to the standards that must be met during the production of known varieties, farms often take the liberty of creating new tea blends.