Process for aromatization of treated tea

A process of the production of an aromatic decaffeinated tea comprising the steps of:

• a) charging moist tea to a pressure vessel,
• b) charging liquid supercritical carbon dioxide to said pressure vessel at a temperature of between 0.degree. to 100.degree. C. and at a pressure of 100 to 500 bars to dissolve therein the caffeine and aroma fractions of said tea to provide a carbon dioxide solution,
• c) separating said carbon dioxide solution from said tea,
• d) charging said carbon dioxide solution to a first expansion vessel, reducing the pressure therein to 100 bars, raising the temperature to between 50.degree. and 100.degree. C. and continuously adding there 1 part by weight of water for each 10 parts by weight of originally charged moistened tea per hour,
• e) recovering the carbon dioxide thus converted to the gaseous state and recycling same into step (b) and collecting the thus produced aqueous extract containing aroma, caffeine, and some carbon dioxide,
• f) charging said aqueous extract to a second expansion vessel, lowering the pressure to 1 bar and reheating the contents to between 50.degree. and 100.degree. C. whereby the aromatics, some water and the carbon dioxide are volatilized,
• g) collecting the volatiles from step (f) and cooling same to between 0.degree. and 40.degree. C. whereby a portion of the water is condensed,
• h) charging the remaining volatiles to dearomatized decaffeinated tea to obtain aromatized decaffeinated tea.