First Infusion
第一泡（洗茶）
Tea BrewingDefinition
The opening steep of a tea, which in gongfu and many Chinese practices is poured off within a few seconds and not drunk. This rinse clears dust and surface debris, warms both the leaf and the vessel, and releases the first flush of aroma; it is sometimes offered to guests purely to smell. Because it is discarded, it is not counted among the drinking infusions — a tea described as good for eight steeps has usually already given up a rinse.
Etymology
The Chinese practice of 洗茶 (xǐ chá, washing the tea) was written into Ming and Qing brewing guides, though whether the rinse should be thrown away or kept has been argued over ever since.
In use
Comes up whenever infusions are being counted, since the rinse sits outside the tally.