Doi Wawee Sun-Dried Red Tea
Garden Direct Red Tea
Doi Wawee Sun-Dried Red Tea
Doi Wawee Sun-Dried Red Tea
Doi Wawee Sun-Dried Red Tea

Doi Wawee Sun-Dried Red Tea

This Sun-dried Red Tea (Shaihong) from the ancient tea trees of Doi Wawee in Northern Thailand has a strong energy and flavor density with a unique sweet fermentation taste.


20+ Servings

Qty:

Malty, honey, berry compote,

spices and black sugar

About this tea

Sun-dried Red Tea (Shaihong) is most likely the original way of producing red tea using the Sun’s natural light and energy to dry the tea. This natural sun-drying method predates the modern and more widespread practice of oven drying red tea. The sunlight and slow rate of natural drying creates a uniquely sweet fermentation taste and aromatic profile that only the Sun’s natural UV-light can produce. The sun-dried red tea keeps the living character of Pu’er tea because the temperature of sun-drying is not as high as that of oven machine baking which thoroughly stops the enzyme activity in red tea.

This tea is good for immediate drinking as well as aging and enjoying overtime. Oven-dried tea tends to have more baking and caramelization notes while sun-dried red teas are more fruity, multi-floral, raisin and muscatel grape-like. This batch from the ancient tea trees of Doi Wawee in Northern Thailand’s Chiangrai Province has a strong energy and flavor density with notes of berry compote, red date, black sugar, black pepper and deep maltiness. The tea is great for gongfucha sessions and shows its character over the course of several infusions.

Ingredients

Red tea

Origin

Doi Wawee, Thailand

Cultivar

Heirloom assamica from ancient tree (seed)

Harvest

April 2022

Elevation

900 - 1150 meters

Doi Wawee background map mobile

Origin

Doi Wawee

Chiang Rai Province, Northern Thailand

Throughout northern Thailand there are many old, abandoned tea plantations that have been left to grow wild from centuries past. Known locally by the Thais as “Assam tea,” these trees are part of an ancient tea journey that traces its roots back to the 11th and 12th Centuries. It is thought that the Bulang and Dai ethnic peoples were the pioneers of tea in this region and both groups planted tea seeds wherever they migrated. In more modern times, ethnic Han Chinese from Yunnan settled in the region and became stewards of the ancient tea tree forests and plantations. They began to produce tea in Doi Wawee according to Yunnan Pu’er tea practices and traditions. At this time, the village of Doi Wawee is glorified by tea lovers and is known as,  茶房 or “the village of tea.”

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