Why is the second infusion so much better?
I’m not a tea expert at all. I regularly exceed extraction time limits, I drink whatever’s in the kitchen, I don’t observe water temperature or hardness. But drinking so much tea lately, I noticed one thing.
Never drink the first infusion.
I’ve had several teas now where the first infusion is downright bad. The flavor is weak, in some varieties you can actually taste chemicals flowing out. My first pot today had a really nasty aftertaste.
Compare that to the second infusion. Full aroma, perfect taste.
As I said - no tea expert - and I certainly haven’t checked with all the kinds we have in this house, but the extent of this fact is really surprising to me, though I already knew that some people always pour out the first infusion.
Try it!
