Mao Xie aka “Hairy Crab” is a type of Anxi oolong tea that grows in many places in Anxi county of Fujian. Mao Xie means literally “Hair of the Crab” and refers to the hairs on the tea leaves that break off when brewed and float on the top of your cup. Mao Xie has got a thicker and sweeter taste than its more floral counterpart Tie Guan Yin.
Our Mao Xie Oolong is the highest grade normally available.
Region: Gan De Village in Anxi County
Elevation: 650 Meters
Varietal: Hairy Crab 毛蟹
Origin Story:
Hairy Crab tea is originally produced in Daqiulun, Fumei Village, Daping Township, Anxi County (Fujian). The origin story is based on “The History of Tea Varieties” (published in 1979, edited by the Tea Research Institute of Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 74 pages): "According to Zhang Jiaxie of Pingzhou Village (71 years old in 1957): "The 33rd year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1907) ) I went out to buy cloth and passed by the residence of Daqiulun Gaoxiang in Fumei Village. He said that there is a kind of tea that grows extremely fast, and that it can be picked only two years after planting. I brought back more than 100 plants and planted them in my own tea garden. Highly productive and good quality, so “hairy crab” tea spread around Anxi.