The same tea can feel different when brewed with different techniques. When you're frustrated that you can't brew a good cup of tea, try changing your brewing technique based on the strengths and weaknesses of the tea or your own taste preferences.

Today we'll talk about the “root-left” method: after waking the tea, always leave some of the infused tea in the brewing vessel from start to finish. Typically, you would “leave two parts out of eight” or “leave half and pour out half.” After pouring out the infusion, add water again until the tea becomes lighter, then allow it to steep for a longer period. The root-left steeping method helps regulate the flavor of the tea throughout the session, making each infusion's taste less abrupt.

When Should You Pour Out All the Tea?

Generally, when using a small Teapot, a small covered bowl, or a gongfu tea brewing method where the taste and aroma of the tea are emphasized, you should pour out all the tea.

This is because the volume of small teapots and covered bowls is very small. If you leave some tea in them, the remaining infusion will quickly become concentrated, affecting the taste of the next infusion; especially when brewing strong-flavored teas like dark tea, rock tea, and Pu'er tea. If you don't pour out the tea completely, the next infusion will be overly strong and bitter, and the aroma won't be pleasant.

Even if you dilute the next infusion by adding more water, the tea will still have an over-steeped, stale taste. Typically, when brewing tea, you should patiently pour out every last drop, and open the lid to prevent the tea from being spoiled by heat.

When Is the Root-Left Method Appropriate?

The root-left method is typically used in three situations:

First, when brewing with a glass cup or a large pot, the extraction rate is relatively high. For example, when brewing Black Tea or flower tea in a large pot, the root-left method is often used to maintain a stable taste in the infusion.

Second, when brewing teas with a high extraction rate that do not withstand multiple infusions well, such as green tea and Yellow Tea.

Third, when a large quantity of tea needs to be brewed quickly and conveniently, the root-left method is often employed.

In most cases, when brewing tea in a glass cup, the tea is drunk directly from the cup, making it impossible to separate the tea leaves from the water.

The tea and water remain in constant contact without separation. When drinking halfway through the cup, the taste is light, but as you reach the bottom of the cup, the infusion becomes stronger. Once you finish the entire cup, the second infusion may have a significant drop in concentration, and by the third cup, there might be almost no flavor left. Therefore, keeping a certain amount of tea in the cup before adding more water can help maintain the taste.

When serving a large group and using a large pot, the tea typically steeps for a longer time, allowing more of its contents to infuse into the water. Without leaving some tea at the bottom, the next pot of tea might be as bland as water. Especially with fresh new teas that are naturally light in flavor and not very durable in multiple infusions, if the first infusion is completely drained, the second one may have little taste left. Thus, leaving one-third of the infusion in the pot before the next brewing can ensure that the concentration doesn't vary too much.

When brewing light teas like green tea or white tea (Silver Needle), and using a glass cup or a large pot, it is common to use the root-left method to avoid a significant drop in flavor or even a complete lack of taste. When simmering tea, you also leave one-third of the infusion in the pot, then add hot water to continue simmering, resulting in a more uniform and stable taste.