Pu'er Tea should be rinsed. Pu'er tea is made from large-leaf Yunnan sun-dried Green Tea, which is rich in substances and tightly compressed. Rinsing the tea helps activate the leaves, maintain the clarity of the infusion, enhance the taste when drinking, and facilitates the release of the tea's contents, allowing flavors and aromas to reach their fullest expression.

The purpose of rinsing tea is to wash away surface dust and pesticide residues that many people are concerned about. However, genuine high-quality teas are very clean. As long as the tea meets national standards, there should be no need for concern. Rinsing provides psychological reassurance but has no substantial scientific basis.

How to Rinse Pu'er Tea

Pu'er tea should be rinsed due to its high concentration. The first infusion may have an off-flavor that needs to be removed through rinsing to improve the purity of the tea liquor.

There are two methods of rinsing: a quick rinse, where boiling water is poured over the tea and quickly discarded, and a slow rinse, where the tea steeps for 10-20 seconds before discarding the water.

It's important not to rinse the tea too many times; generally, 2-3 rinses are recommended to avoid removing too much of the beneficial components and flavor from the tea. The water temperature during rinsing should also be controlled, typically between 80°C-90°C.

The True Significance of Rinsing:

For aged teas stored for many years, rinsing is necessary before consumption. Aged teas have been semi-sealed for a long time, and their internal substances, active enzymes, beneficial bacteria, etc., are in a semi-dormant state. The tea liquor will not be at its optimal quality in terms of color, body, and aroma without rinsing.

Only after rinsing can the true character of the tea be revealed.

The rinse before brewing is often referred to as a pre-infusion. The method usually involves placing the tea leaves in a Teapot, pouring hot water over them for a few seconds, and then discarding the water. It is best to keep the rinse time under 3 seconds.

According to experiments, the aroma and beneficial components start to leach into the water within 3 seconds of pouring hot water. If more than 3 seconds pass, the tea will continue releasing its contents, and discarding the water at this point would result in significant loss of beneficial components.

Generally, the first infusion can be discarded, but this depends on personal preference. If the tea quality is highly assured and excellent, and it has been properly dried before brewing, it is acceptable to skip the rinse.