Should the first brew of tea be poured away or kept ?
written by siyutao art team
When brewing tea, have you ever struggled with this question: should the first infusion be poured away or kept? Some people say that washing the tea removes dirt, while others say the first infusion is the essence, so pouring it away is a waste. Who is actually right? Today, I will explain this clearly once and for all.
• First, different teas should be handled differently. I will divide them directly into three categories.
• The first category: teas that must be poured away, including compressed teas, aged teas, and aged white tea and aged dark tea that have been stored for many years. During production and storage, these teas inevitably collect dust and impurities, and because they are tightly compressed, the leaves have not yet unfurled, so the first infusion cannot really bring out the flavor. The correct method is to rinse them quickly with boiling water for just three to five seconds, then pour that water away. This step is called waking the tea, not washing the tea. Its purpose is to help the leaves unfurl and awaken the tea's aroma.
• The second category: teas where you can either keep or pour away the first infusion, such as oolong tea, black tea, and white tea, for example Tieguanyin, Dahongpao, Lapsang Souchong, and Baihao Yinzhen. These teas are made through a clean process and are not tightly compressed. Strictly speaking, they do not need to be washed. However, many people are used to pouring away the first infusion, mainly to rinse the tea so that the leaves absorb a little water first and release flavor better in the second infusion. How you handle it depends on you.
If the tea leaves are tightly rolled, you can quickly rinse them with boiling water and then pour that water away. If the tea leaves themselves are loose, the first infusion can be drunk directly. In my own habit, I pour away the first infusion of oolong tea as a rinse, while I keep the first infusion of black tea and white tea because their aroma and flavor already come out in the first infusion.
• The third category: teas where you must not pour away the first infusion, such as green tea and yellow tea, for example Longjing, Biluochun, and Junshan Yinzhen. These teas are made from tender leaves and have a fresh, elegant aroma. The first infusion is the essence. If you pour it away, you are throwing away that fresh, sweet, refreshing sip. The correct method is to drink it directly. Green tea and yellow tea are clean in processing, and their buds are delicate, so they do not need to be washed or rinsed at all. Brew them with water at around 80°C, and the first infusion will already give you the purest freshness and sweetness.
So next time you brew tea, do not struggle over this anymore. Look at what tea you have in your hands and just follow this principle.
