Quick Summary of Sibirskie Shangi (Siberian Shangi)
- 🌍 Origin: A commercial variety from the famous Russian seed company “SibSad” (Siberian Garden). “Shangi” refers to traditional Siberian flat, open-faced savory tarts/pastries, which describes the shape of these tomatoes.
- 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), reaching over 1.5m (5 ft). Vigorous and beautiful vines. Growers report that it sets fruit reliably in any weather (“no-nonsense” variety).
- 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Oblate (flattened-round), pink-to-raspberry colored beefsteaks that look like little flat pucks or tarts gathered at the stem. The first fruits of the season are often misshapen (catfaced) due to megablooms (fused blossoms).
- ⚖️ Weight Warning: The seed packet claims massive fruits up to 800g (1.7 lbs), featuring a photo of a megabloom tomato. However, real-world growers consistently report that normal fruits average 150-300g (5-10.5 oz) and are very uniform in size.
- 👅 Flavor: Classic, old-school tomato flavor. Perfectly balanced between sweet and acidic, though some growers looking for purely sweet tomatoes find it a bit ordinary.
Variety SIBIRSKIE SHANGI from SibSad (Siberian Garden). From the description on the seed packet: “Mid-early variety, vigorous plant, over 1.5m (5 ft) tall, beautiful, forms 4-6 trusses with huge and appetizing fruits up to 800g (1.7 lbs) in the shape of pink-raspberry ‘shangi’ (flat tarts). Fruits are oblate, dense but not tough, color can vary from pink to deep raspberry. Stores and ripens well indoors. High flavor qualities, does not crack. Intended for greenhouse growing.”
I grew it in the vegetable garden (outdoors), pruned it to a single stem. The fruit set on the first truss was not bad, there were four fruits—not small, but not huge either. On the second and third trusses, there were only two tomatoes each, I think the heat and drought took their toll. You can see the potential of this variety by the flower trusses; perhaps in a greenhouse, the variety would have shown its full capabilities. The fruits on the first truss were misshapen (catfaced), but on the subsequent trusses, they were smooth and beautiful.
The taste is classic tomato, balanced in acidity and sweetness. I liked it very much. I will definitely repeat it.
I grew Shangi from the exact same packet. It grew in the greenhouse. I didn’t have any misshapen ones, they turned out as pink, perfectly even flat pucks/little tarts (vatrushkas), slightly gathered at the stem. The shape remained consistent throughout the season—the tomatoes were easily recognizable in the general harvest basket. I decided for myself that this shape is their specific varietal trait.
I planted it in the greenhouse hoping to get large fruits, but here, alas, SibSad greatly exaggerated. There was absolutely no hint of large-fruitedness, they were all uniform, 150-200 grams (5.3-7 oz), no more, as if they were calibrated. The taste for me is ordinary, tomato-y, without any distinct sweetness or refinements (and I love sweet ones!). I will probably repeat it (since I still have seeds left), but definitely not this season and definitely not in the greenhouse!
It’s a pity, for some reason I can’t find my photos of it.
On 1/9/2019 at 6:48 AM, Nadezhda 69 said:
SibSad greatly exaggerated, absolutely no hint of large-fruitedness, they were all uniform, 150-200 grams, no more, as if calibrated.
Mine were also all around 200g (7 oz) or slightly more. The photo on the packet clearly shows a fruit from a megabloom (fused blossom), and it does not reflect the shape that is truly characteristic of this variety.
All 3 of my bushes were about 120 cm (4 ft) tall. Yield gets a 4 (out of 5). I don’t remember the taste. I only had 1 big fruit, the rest were about 300g (10.5 oz), the color was quite dark and pleasant. The return of the harvest was fast, it was one of the first to finish fruiting for the season.
I grew it last year. A tall red beefsteak with a yield slightly above average (from the commercial packet). The taste was unmemorable—ordinary tomato flavor. Good, but nothing outstanding, it didn’t show any special “wow” factor (zest).
On 11/02/2019 at 8:36 AM, Olviya said:
I grew it last year. A tall red beefsteak… ordinary tomato flavor. Good, but nothing outstanding, it didn’t show any special “wow” factor (zest).
But it’s supposed to be pink-raspberry colored…. Aside from that, yes, no special “wow” factor.
On 12/09/2019 at 9:59 AM, Nadezhda 69 said:
But it’s supposed to be pink-raspberry colored….
Honestly, I very rarely look closely at whether a tomato is red, pink, or raspberry colored 😆.
It sets fruit in any weather. No-nonsense (no fuss). Consistently productive.
