Mao Xie

China
Hairy Crab
Light roasting
2013 Late Spring Pluck

This varietal oolong is plucked from tea bushes that the tea is named after – Mao Xie. It is classified as a SeZhong oolong, meaning that it is grown in the region and villages where the famous Tieguanyin oolongs are grown, but that it is cultivated from a different and unique type of tea bush cultivar. Of the dozen or so SeZhong oolongs, Mao Xie is one of the most well known.

Mao Xie tea bushes are grown on the coastal outcroppings of Fujian Province’s prime tea-producing region and are among the few oolong plantings that benefit from the Fujian Province coast’s long growing season, which stretches well into autumn. It is at this time that the size of its leaf is perfect for forming the unique shape of the steeped tea leaves.

This tea also has a little story behind its fanciful name. It is named in honor of the edible crab, the Hairy Crab – Eriocher sinensis – that is raised by aqua-culture in the freshwater estuaries near its habitat. Related to the Blue Crab of the Chesapeake Bay region on the Atlantic coast of the United States, the Hairy Crab sheds its hard outer shell in autumn, and is a gustatory delight for the those who live along the eastern coast of Mainland China where the Yangtze River empties into the East China Sea. There is a festival during the crab harvest, and Mao Xie oolong plays a prominent role in the celebration. Locals like to say that as the leaf unfurls during steeping it replicates the legs of the Hairy Crab when swimming. Pluck some leaf from your teapot when steeping this tea and see if you agree!