Green Tea does not require rinsing. As a non-Fermented tea made from fresh and tender buds and leaves, it is not resilient to multiple infusions or high temperatures. Rinsing would reduce the number of subsequent infusions, resulting in a lighter tasting tea. Moreover, the first Infusion of green tea can release about 50% of its soluble compounds. Rinsing would cause a significant loss of the tea's nutrients. Therefore, there is no need to rinse green tea.
Should Green Tea Be Rinsed? Why Green Tea Doesn't Need to Be Rinsed
The entire process of making green tea involves picking, withering, fixing, and drying, without undergoing Fermentation. This allows for the maximum retention of active components such as Caffeine, theobromine, catechins, and theanine. As a non-fermented tea, green tea imparts a natural flavor when consumed.
Many people say that there's no need to rinse green tea when brewing it. One reason is that green tea is rich in various nutrients, with the first infusion releasing up to 70% of these nutrients. Rinsing the tea would mean discarding the first infusion, along with the most abundant nutrients present in the tea. Therefore, it is not recommended to rinse green tea before drinking.
Another reason not to rinse green tea is that doing so could affect the tea's aroma. Given the rich internal composition of green tea, it has a very fresh scent. Rinsing can diminish the persistence and intensity of the tea's aroma, wasting the tea's long-lasting and refreshing fragrance.
Rinsing green tea also makes the tea broth thinner and less flavorful. The loss of nutrients during the first rinse results in a decrease in taste quality upon subsequent consumption. This leads to an unsatisfactory drinking experience and a less mellow taste.
The tea-making process of green tea means it contains a large amount of natural, active nutritional components. As a non-fermented tea, it has a refreshing and stimulating taste. To fully benefit from the abundant nutrients in high-quality green tea, it is even more important not to rinse it. Remember this when you brew green tea in the future!