Hairy Crab King "Mao Xie Wang" Oolong Tea

We’ve been selling a Hairy Crab oolong for more than 15 years and we thought it was the best “Mao Xie” varietal there was. Now in 2023 we’ve found another garden in Gan De village, but at a higher altitude! The taste is thick and sweet and the thickness of the leaves allows for many textured steeps! This is truly the King of Hairy Crab!

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.

Region: Gan De Village in Anxi County

Elevation: 800 Meters

Varietal: Hairy Crab 毛蟹

We also offer a very popular Hairy Crab Oolong that we’ve been selling for 16 years now! Anxi “Hairy Crab” Mao Xie Fujian Oolong Tea

Actual colors of the tea may vary somewhat from pictured. Purchase the smallest amount to try before purchasing larger amounts.

Hairy Crab 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.
Recommended Steeping:
Use 7 grams per 100ml volume gaiwan or teapot. This tea also needs 100C water and relatively longish steeps. Hairy Crab varietal has very thick leaves and needs to be pushed a bit to get at its goodness.