SHIDA NIAVI
შიდა ნიავი — SHIDA NIAVI
GABA Oolong · IMERETI
Pronunciation: [SHI-da ni-A-vi]
Biochemistry
SHIDA NIAVI is anaerobically fermented in an oxygen-free environment. The process converts glutamic acid in the leaf into gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), reaching concentrations of 150–200 mg per 100g of dry leaf — verified by laboratory analysis. GABA is the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. The leaf retains high L-theanine alongside the elevated GABA content.
- GABA: 150–200 mg/100g (laboratory tested)
- L-theanine: high concentration
- Caffeine: 25–45 mg per cup (lower than standard oolong)
- Polyphenols: preserved through anaerobic process
Character
Silent. Deep. Like silence after long noise. Not sedating — clarifying. The first infusion settles. The third opens. The fifth lingers.
Name Legend
შიდა (Shida) means "internal" in Georgian — precise and direct. Anaerobic fermentation is a process that happens inside the leaf, in a closed environment, without external oxygen. ნიავი (Niavi) means "gentle breeze" — the unified type for all oolongs in GTNS. SHIDA NIAVI is the breeze that turned inward.
Origin
- Estate: Tkibuli tea garden, Village Dzirovani, Imereti, Georgia
- Elevation: 630 m
- Harvest: Spring 2023
- Certification: Organic
- Picking standard: bud + 2 leaves
How SHIDA NIAVI is Crafted
- Proprietary technological process with anaerobic fermentation
The exact technological sequence behind SHIDA NIAVI is held as Teanium know-how. What we share publicly is what matters: the leaf is fermented in an oxygen-free environment, and the result is verified GABA content of 150–200 mg per 100g — independently tested by laboratory. The chemistry is the proof; the process is ours.
Brewing
- Water: 90–95°C
- Leaf: 5 g per 200 ml
- First infusion: 30 seconds
- Each next: +15 seconds
- Total infusions: 5–7
The slightly cooler water and longer first infusion preserve the GABA profile and L-theanine extraction.
About GTNS
SHIDA NIAVI is named according to the Georgian Tea Nomenclature Standard — the first open standard for naming Georgian tea, authored by Teanium. The name encodes the processing method (SHIDA · anaerobic fermentation) and the tea type (NIAVI · oolong). Read the full standard at teanium.com/pages/gtns.
Teanium community thoughts
The customers can & says more about our teas, than we do!
Your dark oolong is the kind of tea I'd travel 2000 kilometers on a donkey for if I had to. It's the first Georgian tea that doesn't require any 'discount' for its origin in evaluation.
I wholeheartedly recommend everything that Teanium produces. My personal favorites are the white, green, and sheng teas.
Teanium is a new star in the Premium tea sky, shining bright! I‘m tasting myself through the different styles and recommend everyone to try and experience the artisanal delicacies from Georgia.
