Why do you discard the first brew?

Have you ever seen a tea brewer pour hot water over tea leaves and then immediately pour it out? For many, this may seem wasteful, but in Chinese tea brewing, especially Gong Fu Cha, this is a well-known technique called rinsing or awakening the tea leaves.

The most important reason is to give the tea leaves a gentle start. Hard-rolled oolong teas and pressed pu-erh teas are tightly packed and need a little heat and moisture to unfurl. A quick rinse helps the leaves open up so they can develop their aromas from the very first real brewing. The rinse also warms up the teapot and cups, which makes the temperature more even during brewing.

Rinsing tea is simple. Pour hot water over the tea leaves, let it sit for just a few seconds in the teapot, and then immediately pour out the water. After that, you brew the tea as usual. The purpose is not to extract flavor, but to prepare the leaves for the upcoming infusions.