Naturals, and the rain
The process with the highest ceiling and the least margin for a wet afternoon.
Three weeks of exposure
A natural lot dries whole, fruit and all, for two to three weeks. In Taiwan that means two to three weeks of afternoon storms.
Farms that do it well have roofs on rails and someone within earshot of the first drops.
Naturals are a bet on the weather, placed three weeks in advance.
When it works
A clean natural from Dongshan or Gukeng tastes of dried longan and dark sugar, with a weight that washed lots cannot reach.
When it fails you get a cup that is simultaneously sour and flat, which no roast can fix.
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