Got dragged to a tea market in Chengdu and now I finally get why my dad always rinsed the pot first
My dad always dumped the first pour of tea down the sink and I thought it was just a weird habit he picked up somewhere. Last month I tagged along with my uncle to a tea market in Chengdu, and an old vendor there poured us a cup, then immediately tossed it and poured a second one. He said the first pour is just to wake the leaves up and wash off the dust from processing, and the second one is the real cup. I tried it side by side right there and the difference was honestly not subtle, the first cup tasted flat and a little dusty. Now I do the same thing at home with my cheap oolong and it actually tastes better. Does anyone know if this matters as much with green tea, or is it mostly a thing for oolong and puer?