Black Sun Dried

Berry sweetness, warm spices, and a deep flavour shaped by the sun.

Before you is a hand-picked high-mountain black tea, naturally dried beneath the sun. It is grown in the tea gardens of Zedubani, fully oxidised, and gently finished under natural sunlight. Slow sun-drying creates a rich fruity and berry-like character with notes of jam, honey, and warm spices.

Aroma: bright, sweet, and multilayered. From the first moments, you can sense berry jam, ripe plum, cherry, and dark honey. Later, notes of dried fruit, cinnamon, allspice, and sun-warmed herbs emerge, adding depth and warmth to the aroma.

Taste: rich, rounded, and naturally sweet. It begins with notes of dark berry jam, ripe plum, and baked apple, followed by nuances of honey, dried fruit, and gentle spices. Delicate astringency supports the structure of the flavour without making the tea harsh. The aftertaste is long, berry-like, and warming.

Effect: invigorating, warm, and focusing. The tea gently fills you with energy, helps you concentrate, and supports mental clarity without excessive stimulation. It is well suited to a slow morning, daytime work, a cool evening, or a long conversation.

Who will enjoy it: those who appreciate rich black teas with pronounced natural sweetness. Shai Hong is an excellent choice for lovers of berry, honeyed, and spicy nuances, as well as for those who find classic black tea too strict and straightforward.

Shai Hong is a fully oxidised black tea that is naturally dried beneath the sun after its primary processing. The combination of full oxidation and slow sun-drying creates a rich flavour with vivid berry, fruit, and spice notes.

Unlike tea that is rapidly dried at high temperatures, Shai Hong develops gradually. The sun gently removes the remaining moisture, preserving the natural sweetness of the leaves and enhancing notes of ripe berries, dried fruit, honey, and warm spices.

Full oxidation. After withering, the leaves are carefully rolled, initiating the natural oxidation process. It is closely monitored until the leaves develop their characteristic dark colour, rich aroma, and deep fruity flavour.

Natural sun-drying. After oxidation, the leaves are spread in a thin layer and slowly dried beneath the sun. The temperature, humidity, and condition of the leaves are continuously monitored to preserve the tea’s clean aroma and prevent overheated or burnt notes.

Sun-drying does more than remove moisture — it continues to shape the character of the tea. Under natural warmth, the fruity and honeyed notes deepen, while the flavour develops a smoother, more mature, and rounded structure.

The slow process helps preserve the complex aromatic profile of the leaves. In the finished tea, you can sense berry jam, dried plum, baked apple, dark honey, and gentle spices.

Warmth without overheating. Sunlight affects the tea more gently than intensive high-temperature drying. As a result, the flavour remains rich without becoming dry or harsh.

Natural maturity. Gradual drying allows the aroma to stabilise and brings the fruity, berry-like, and spicy notes together in one harmonious profile.

The tea is grown in the high-mountain gardens of Zedubani, where cool nights, sunny days, and pure mountain air encourage the tea leaves to develop slowly.

At high altitude, the tea bush grows more slowly, allowing the leaves to gradually accumulate aromatic compounds, amino acids, and polyphenols. This gives Shai Hong its deep aroma, natural sweetness, and expressive, long-lasting aftertaste.

The difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures plays an important role in shaping the tea’s character. During the day, the sun warms the leaves, while at night, the cool air slows their growth. This natural contrast helps maintain a balance between richness, berry sweetness, astringency, and freshness.

The tea leaves are picked by hand. The pickers select only healthy, mature, and properly developed shoots. Hand-picking allows us to preserve the integrity of the leaves and use only high-quality raw material for production.

After harvesting, the leaves are withered to reduce their moisture content and make them softer and more flexible. They are then carefully rolled, initiating full natural oxidation.

During oxidation, the colour of the leaves gradually darkens, while the aroma becomes deeper, fruitier, and sweeter. Once the tea reaches the desired level of maturity, the leaves are spread in a thin layer and dried beneath the sun.

The drying process is continuously monitored. The leaves are gently moved to ensure even drying and preserve a clean aroma without burnt or overdried notes.

The result is a bright, rich, and distinctive Shai Hong, combining notes of berry jam, ripe plum, dark honey, dried fruit, and warm spices.

Use 4–5 grams of tea per 250 ml of water. The recommended water temperature is 90–95°C. Steep the first infusion for 2–3 minutes.

The tea can be infused several times. With each subsequent infusion, the berry notes become smoother, while nuances of honey, dried fruit, baked apple, and spices reveal greater depth.

For a sweeter and fruitier flavour, use water at approximately 90°C and reduce the steeping time. Hotter water and a longer infusion will produce a fuller, more astringent cup and reveal the tea’s spicy character more vividly.