If you like to drink tea, you must have heard of the expression "washing tea". Some people say that the first tea should be poured, but some people think that it is not necessary. So, in the end, the first tea to pour it? Today we will talk about this topic.
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What is "tea washing"?
The word "tea washing" is not unfamiliar, literally means "washing the tea leaves". Many people are accustomed to steeping the tea leaves when making tea in a zisha pot or gaiwan, and then pouring out the water from the first brew, which is called "tea washing". In the professional tea ceremony process, this is even listed as a mandatory part. But "wash tea" is really necessary?
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"The history of tea washing
"Tea washing has a long history. The Ming Dynasty Tu Long's "Kao Nuan Yu Matters" mentions: "Whenever tea is cooked, tea is first washed with hot soup to remove its dust and cold air, and then it is cooked to make it beautiful." This indicates that the purpose of washing tea in ancient times was to remove impurities and cold air from the surface of tea leaves, thus making the tea better. But in modern tea processing, this practice is still necessary?
Does modern tea really need to be "washed"?
As modern tea processing technology improves, hygiene conditions have also greatly improved. Especially high-grade tea, the production process of strict control of health standards, there is no need to "wash tea" to remove dust. In addition, experiments have shown that the freshness and sweetness of the first bubble of tea soup is often higher, pouring instead of a waste of nutrients.
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Which teas need to be "washed"?
Not all teas need to be "washed". The following types of tea are suitable for tea washing:
- Tea with coarse and old raw materials, such as Pu-erh ripe tea, Por brick, Six Burger tea. The first brew of this type of tea may have coarse old air, which will affect the taste if not washed off.
- Tea with tight shape, such as Iron Goddess of Mercy, Frozen Top Oolong, all kinds of tightly pressed tea. This type of tea because of the tight shape, not easy to bubble open, the first bubble can play the role of moist tea.
- Old tea that has been stored for a long time, such as aged white tea and Pu-erh. Washing off the first infusion can remove the "warehouse flavor" and restore the original flavor of the tea.
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Which teas do not need to be "washed"?
The following types of tea are not recommended for tea washing:
- High-grade green tea, Jinjunmei, Junshan Silver Needle and so on. These teas are processed under good hygienic conditions, with high grade raw materials and the pursuit of freshness.
- Tea leaves with high degree of kneading and fermentation, such as CTC black crushed tea. The leaves are highly crushed and washing the tea will cause nutrient loss instead.
Handling of special situations
For some special teas, such as Biluochun and Baihao Silver Needle with more hair, you can use 70-80℃ water to wash tea quickly to minimize the loss of nutrients. In addition, friends who are sensitive to caffeine can use 80 ℃ or more water to wash tea, the first bubble can take away a lot of caffeine, reduce the stimulation of the human body.
The right way to wash tea
When washing tea, the water should be injected gently, avoiding high rushing, the water column directly impacting the tea leaves. The soup should be produced quickly, avoiding a long steeping time, in order to minimize the loss of nutrients.
Overall, whether or not you need to "wash your tea" depends on the type of tea and your personal taste preference. Understanding the purpose and proper method of "tea washing" will enable you to better savor the beauty of tea.
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