When brewing tea leaves, there is usually a step called rinsing the tea. The practice of rinsing tea has a history of over four hundred years. The purpose of rinsing tea is to wash away impurities from the surface of loose tea leaves, allowing the tea to release a more enticing aroma and improving its flavor. There are many varieties of tea on the market, but not all teas require rinsing.

For example, tender new teas do not need to be rinsed. Representative examples include Longjing tea and Biluochun. These types of teas are relatively delicate, and when exposed to boiling water, the beneficial elements in the tea leaves dissolve quickly. If the step of rinsing is included, it may lead to the loss of their nutritional components.

On the other hand, semi-fermented teas with longer processing times can be rinsed during brewing. Examples include Tieguanyin and Dahongpao. This is because such teas may inevitably accumulate dust or other impurities during their lengthy production process.

For most teas, rinsing before brewing is a healthier and more scientific approach.