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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Do you wash tea leaves?
I hadn't considered doing this before, but a Chinese person told me that is the proper way to drink tea. I am also thinking it could serve some hygienic purpose as well. The tea I buy comes in a package so I'm not that concerned about it being dirty. Anyway tea is supposed to have some health benefits so wouldn't washing the leaves before drinking the tea cause the leaves to lose some nutritional value? I'd like some input from the avid tea drinkers.
I "wash" the tea if I am making it the traditional way in the small teapot on a tea tray. It`s basically just tipping away the first couple of pots. My wifes uncle is traditional tea drinker and he gave me lessons on how to do it.
Maybe the only thing I do not prewash in China is toilet paper, because I have not figured out yet how to use it afterwards.
I do drink tea in the Chinese traditional way, and that does take care of prewashing it as explained above.
I was always taught to wash pour the first one away. Apparently it helps with the taste as well as being more hygienic.
Ostensibly, the purpose of rinsing tea leaves is to get the dust off, but I've also had tea girls tell me it's to "wake up" the leaves, whatever that means. In any case, I don't practice this as I like to drink my tea straight out of a glass mug with the leaves still in it. Also, I usually drink high grade organic tea, so I'm not too concerned about any pesticide residue.