Maoxie (máoxiè chá 毛蟹茶) — Anxi “hairy crab” oolong

In the cup

A clear jasmine note over fresh green and gentle cream — clean and soft, with a returning sweetness and, in roasted grades, a nutty-caramel warmth.

What it gives

A refreshing, lightly tonic oolong — notably high in fluoride for the teeth, settling and good for everyday drinking.

Maoxie — hairy crab — is one of the four great tea bushes of Anxi in Fujian, alongside Tieguanyin. The odd name reads in the leaf: the tip is shaped a little like a crab’s claw and furred with white down, háo. It is a fast, generous bush — it gives a marketable leaf only two years after the cutting is set, and crops from spring through autumn — which made it a workhorse of the export trade.

Its signature is a clear, high jasmine note that belongs to the cultivar itself, not to any added flower. The light style is clean and soft, jasmine over fresh green with a gentle returning sweetness; a deeper roast brings nutty and caramel tones and a touch of honey. The best grades carry a soft echo of the velvety Anxi depth the locals call guānyīn yùn.

In the cup

Brew it gongfu, near boiling and short. The lighter style wants a white gaiwan and quick pours to keep its lift; the roasted style takes a touch more time. Lighter and clearer in the cup than Tieguanyin, it is an easy, everyday oolong.

How to brew