Do you need to wash the tea leaves before brewing black tea?

When drinking tea, people usually wash the tea leaves before brewing. Most people think that washing tea leaves can wash away "mud" or "agricultural residues"; some people think that this is just a psychological effect and they think that it can clean the tea leaves.

So, what is the use of washing tea leaves? Especially when brewing black tea, should you wash the tea leaves?

Washing tea leaves can not only remove dust and impurities on the surface of tea leaves, but also induce tea fragrance and flavor.

It can be seen that washing tea leaves has two main functions:

• Wash away surface dirt caused by improper storage of tea leaves;
• Let the dry tea leaves absorb water and moisten by heat, which helps the tea leaves to stretch and the tea juice to leaching, and promote the better release of tea aroma substances.

Tea is a fully fermented tea, and the fresh leaves are made through withering, rolling, fermentation, drying and other processes.

Withering allows the tea leaves to lose some of their water content in preparation for subsequent fermentation; rolling shapes the tea leaves and destroys their cells; fermentation promotes the oxidation of tea polyphenols to form the unique aroma of black tea; drying fixes the quality. Standardized and well-preserved black tea is relatively clean.

Some people believe that washing tea can remove impurities and odors. In the past, tea production conditions were limited, and dust and impurities may be mixed in. In addition, improper transportation and storage may cause tea leaves to have miscellaneous flavors. Washing tea can improve the taste.

Nowadays, most black tea purchased through regular channels has a strictly controlled production environment and guaranteed quality, so washing tea is not very meaningful.

Moreover, the rolling process causes the nutrient-rich tea juice to seep out and adhere to the surface of the dry tea. These essences are dissolved in large quantities in the first tea soup at the moment of brewing.

If you pour it out easily, it is tantamount to abandoning the most abundant nutrition and the freshest flavor of black tea.

In addition, black tea leaves are delicate and the soup comes out quickly, so washing tea can easily cause the loss of aroma and nutrition.

The effect of washing tea on the taste of black tea varies from tea to tea. For example, Jin Jun Mei, which is made from buds, will lose a lot of its rich aroma substances and nutrients after washing, and the taste and aroma will be greatly reduced after brewing.

Zhengshan Xiaozhong, made with traditional smoking technology, has a unique pine smoke aroma. Washing tea can moderately reduce the smell of pine smoke and make the taste more refreshing.

But if you like the strong pine smoke aroma, you can feel its original flavor without washing the tea.

Keemun black tea is famous for its unique "Qimen fragrance" and delicate aroma. If the method of washing tea is not appropriate, it is easy to make the aroma drift away, and you can't appreciate its aroma level and charm.

If you decide to wash tea, you need to master the correct method.

The water temperature should not be too high, 80-90℃ is appropriate, to avoid high temperature damage to the tea leaves. Slowly pour around the wall of the pot, let the tea leaves roll slightly, and quickly pour out the soup after a short soaking of 3-5 seconds.

This not only meets the cleaning needs, but also retains the nutrition and flavor of black tea to the greatest extent, so that every sip of tea soup is full of original beauty.

The fun of tea is to follow your heart.

Whether to wash or not to wash black tea depends on personal preference and the characteristics of tea leaves.

If you pursue the ultimate aroma and taste, and the tea is of good quality, you can directly drink the first tea soup; if you care about cleanliness or want to adjust the taste, you may wish to pay attention to the method of washing tea.

Whether to wash or not, the important thing is to find the most suitable way of drinking in the brewing and drinking, and enjoy the tranquility and beauty brought by tea culture in the warmth of a cup of black tea.