The core difference between oven-dried and sun-dried teas lies in the temperature variation during processing. During drying, the temperature for oven-dried Tea is above 120°C, while for sun-dried tea, it is below 60°C. As a result, oven-dried tea is fixed in shape once, appears bright green, has a high aroma, and a lower level of bitterness and astringency. In contrast, sun-dried tea retains more of its fresh Leaf state, with a softer leaf base and higher moisture content.

For both qualified sun-dried and oven-dried teas, the moisture content for sun-dried tea is around 10%, which is considered acceptable, whereas for oven-dried tea, the moisture content is below 5%. Historically, making “Pu'er tea” using oven-dried tea was virtually impossible, as oven-dried tea was always more expensive than sun-dried tea. However, when the price of Pu'er tea was high, some people took risks. Nevertheless, tea made using the oven-drying process is not considered Pu'er tea.

The Difference Between Sun-Dried and Oven-Dried Pu'er Tea

The sun-dried raw tea tends to be darker, while the oven-dried raw tea tends to be more yellowish.

In terms of aroma, sun-dried Green Tea is generally deeper; oven-dried green teas have a lifted aroma with a clear fragrance but lack honey-like notes. The aroma of sun-dried tea lasts longer, while that of oven-dried tea typically fades after fewer than ten infusions.

From the perspective of the leaf base, sun-dried tea maintains a normal color, while oven-dried tea tends to be yellow-green.

The liquor of sun-dried tea has higher luster, whereas the liquor of oven-dried tea has lower glossiness.

Sun-dried tea has a higher durability for multiple infusions compared to oven-dried tea, which has a lower durability.

The oven-drying and sun-drying processes of Pu'er tea have different effects on the tea, particularly on its internal components. Some substances cannot survive at high temperatures, such as active enzymes, while others can be significantly activated, like aroma compounds. However, high temperatures can negatively impact the subsequent transformation of Pu'er tea. Generally, oven-dried raw tea is not used as the raw material for Pu'er tea.