Mao Xie (毛蟹) – "Hairy Crab": A Famous Oolong Tea from Anxi
Mao Xie (毛蟹, máo xiè) , which translates as "Hairy Crab," is one of the most famous and revered oolongs from Anxi County, located in the south of China's Fujian Province. This lightly fermented oolong, which is also referred to as "turquoise" or "jade" tea due to the shade of its leaves, attracts attention not only with its intriguing name, but also with its rich taste, aroma, and interesting brewing process.
Origin: Anxi - "city of endless spring"
Anxi County, Mao Xie's birthplace, is a legendary place for oolong tea production. Its unique climate conditions – high humidity, frequent fogs and no sudden temperature changes – have earned it the nickname "the city of endless spring." There are no severe winter frosts or sweltering summer heat, creating ideal conditions for growing delicate tea leaves.
Appearance: "crabs" in a cup
The tea owes its unusual name to the appearance of the dry leaf. Mao Xie tea leaves are tightly twisted and consist of two or three upper leaves with a small stalk. You can see barely noticeable white fluff on them ("Bai Hao"). It is this shape, reminiscent of small furry crabs, that gave the tea its name. The color of the dry leaf varies from light green to bluish-dark green. When brewed, the leaves open, demonstrating their integrity, density and elasticity.
Aroma and taste: gradual unfolding and the magic of change
Mao Xie is a tea that does not reveal all its secrets at once. Its taste develops gradually, leaving a pleasant velvety aftertaste. The peculiarity of this oolong is its variability. With each new steeping, the taste and aroma are transformed, as if by magic: delicate floral notes can be replaced by juicy fruity ones, and vice versa. The process of brewing Mao Xie is a separate pleasure, including an assessment of the aroma of the heated leaf, as well as the aromas from a full and empty bowl, which are noticeably different.
Beneficial properties
In addition to pleasure, Mao Xie also has health benefits. It is rich in vitamins and essential microelements such as iodine, zinc, iron, calcium, selenium and phosphorus. It is believed that the "Hairy Crab":
- It has bactericidal properties.
- It has a positive effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular and digestive systems.
- Promotes the removal of toxins from the body.
- Helps to relax muscles.
- Refreshing in hot weather.
The Art of Brewing
To fully enjoy Mao Xie, it is recommended to pay attention to the brewing process:
- Teaware: The best teapot is made of porous Yixing clay, which "breathes" and helps the tea to blossom better.
- Water: Use hot water at 90-95°C.
- Amount of tea: Take 7-10 grams of dry tea leaves for a standard teapot.
- Warming up: Rinse the teapot with boiling water, pour in dry tea and let it warm up a little inside. You can shake the teapot a little to distribute the heat better.
- Aroma: Open the lid and inhale the aroma of the heated leaf.
- Washing: Make the first short brew (literally a few seconds) and pour it out. This infusion is not traditionally drunk, it serves to "awaken" the tea leaves and warm up the cups.
- Brewing: Start brewing using the steeping method. Pour in water and quickly pour the infusion into a chahai (pourer) or directly into bowls. Mao Xie can withstand 8-10 such steepings.
- Enjoyment: Enjoy the changing taste and aroma with each infusion, remembering to inhale the aroma from the bowls.
Mao Xie is more than just a tea. It is a unique oolong tea from Anxi that offers a journey for your senses. Its unusual name and appearance, complex, changing taste, rich aroma and beneficial properties make it a favorite among tea connoisseurs. Proper brewing of Mao Xie allows you to not only reveal all its facets, but also to feel the beauty of the moment, for which this tea is said to have been created.
Translation: "Hairy Crab"
Chinese: 毛蟹, pinyin: máo xiè
This is one of the most famous oolongs from Anxi County, in the south of Fujian Province. Due to the peculiarities of the climate, humidity and fog without sharp temperature changes, Anxi County is nicknamed "The City of Endless Spring". An ideal place for growing tea because there are no severe frosts in winter and no sweltering heat in summer. Externally, tightly twisted tea leaves from two or three upper leaves on which you can barely catch Bai Hao "White Pile" with a stalk look like small crabs. The color varies from light green to bluish-dark green. That is why oolongs are called "Turquoise" or "Jade"
Mao Xie is rich in vitamins and microelements necessary for human health. It contains iodine, zinc, iron, calcium, selenium, phosphorus. "Hairy crab" has bactericidal properties, has a positive effect on the cardiovascular and digestive systems, removes toxins, relaxes muscles, and refreshes in hot summer. Lightly fermented oolong tea reveals whole, dense, elastic leaves. The taste does not open up immediately, but gradually leaves a velvety aftertaste.
It is recommended to brew Mao Xie with hot water at 90-95°C.
For the best brewing and full disclosure of the taste qualities of tea, it is better to use teapots made of breathing Yixing clay. Put 7-10 grams of tea in a teapot heated with boiling water and let it warm up a little. You can shake the teapot slightly for better heat transfer to the leaf, then open the lid of the teapot and inhale the aroma of the heated tea. The first brewing is traditionally not drunk, but serves to awaken the tea leaf and warm the cups. Then we begin brewing by pouring up to 8-10 times and enjoy the aroma of tea from a filled cup, and then from an empty one, because these are completely different aromas. And the taste changing with each pouring is real magic. Floral notes change to fruity and vice versa!
If you brew tea according to all the rules, you can feel the beauty of the moment, because this unique tea was created for this.
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Name in Chinese
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毛蟹 |
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Pinyin
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máoxiè |
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Country
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China |
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