“Rinsing tea,” a familiar term to tea enthusiasts, refers to discarding the first infusion of tea, commonly known as “washing the tea,” or “giving the tea leaves a Rinse.”

Rinsing tea has gradually become an indispensable part of tea drinking, with some people even rinsing Green Tea.

What does “rinsing tea” actually wash away?

Some tea lovers believe that during production, tea leaves inevitably come into contact with dust or microorganisms. Some even think that rinsing can remove pesticide residues from the leaves.

Even if there are microorganisms present, the water temperature used for brewing is typically above 80 degrees Celsius, which is hot enough to kill most bacteria.

A few tea enthusiasts believe that contamination occurs due to unclean hands and other body parts of those involved in Tea processing, hence the need for rinsing.

In recent years, food safety issues have become increasingly prominent, with concerns about pesticides and heavy metals becoming more significant.

Pesticides and heavy metals accumulate in tea leaves because they are non-water-soluble; simple rinsing cannot effectively remove them.

Repetitive brewing may release these residues, suggesting that the initial infusions are actually the safest. The more times tea is brewed, the higher the risk.

Rinsing tea does not wash away what we want to remove; instead, it removes the main active components of the tea.

Substances such as polyphenols, pigments, and most amino acids are highly water-soluble and quickly leach out in the first infusion. Rinsing essentially washes away these nutrients.

Is the foam in the first infusion a basis for rinsing tea?

The first infusion of tea often contains tea fragments and other impurities, which many people consider harmful and seek to remove, a process known as rinsing tea.

During packaging and unpacking, tea easily produces fine particles. The higher quality the tea and the lower its moisture content, the more likely it is to produce fragments.

While tea fragments can affect the aesthetics of the infusion, they do not have any real adverse effects and there is no need to deliberately remove them.

The foam produced during brewing comes from another important component of tea: tea saponin. Tea saponin has anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. When combined with substances like polyphenols, it provides excellent Health benefits, particularly for the surface injuries of internal organs, such as mouth ulcers, gastric ulcers, and intestinal ulcers.

Tea saponin belongs to the saponin class of substances, all of which are highly water-soluble and foaming. In the first infusion, tea saponin quickly dissolves, creating foam on the surface of the tea.

Should you drink the first infusion?

The concept of “rinsing tea” lacks scientific basis and for some is merely a psychological preference or ritual.

Whether to drink the first infusion depends largely on the specific situation and type of tea.

Green tea and black tea should definitely be consumed in the first infusion without rinsing. From the perspective of brewing methods and tea characteristics, it would be a waste to discard the first infusion.

Especially high-quality single-bud green teas and black teas, which can only be brewed two or three times, would lose their drinking value if one infusion is discarded.

For oolong tea, dark tea, and Pu'er tea, rinsing is recommended before drinking.

Heavily rolled oolong teas and compressed teas like Pu'er are not fully hydrated in the first infusion, and the leaves have not yet fully expanded, so the tea cannot reach its optimal drinking standard.

Aged white teas and old Pu'er teas, due to their processing methods and long-term storage, have lost much of their cellular activity. They require hot water to restore their essence and reach a brewable state.

The first infusion with boiling water is not for rinsing but rather for awakening the tea.

Fresh teas like green tea and black tea do not require awakening, while older and aged teas, like aged Pu'er, may require two infusions for awakening.