Mao Xie is a local cultivar originally from Daping Township in Anxi County, and it remains primarily cultivated in this area today. It is considered one of Anxi’s four renowned teas, alongside Huang Jin Gui, Ben Shan, and Tie Guan Yin. According to the Records of Tea Plant Varieties (published in 1979 by the Tea Research Institute of the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, p. 74), Zhang Jiaxie (aged 71 in 1957), a villager from Pingzhou, recalled:
 
“In 1907, I was buying fabric and passed by Gaoxiang’s house in Fumei Village. He told me about a tea variety that grows extremely fast and can be harvested just two years after planting. I brought back over a hundred plants and cultivated them in my tea garden.”
 
This suggests that Mao Xie was already being cultivated at least before 1907. Given its high yield, Mao Xie is one of the most produced oolong teas in Anxi. The blended oolong “Se Zhong,” whose main material is Mao Xie, accounts for more than 70% of the total volume of Anxi’s oolong tea exports.
 
The name Mao Xie, meaning “Hairy Crab,” comes from the fine white fuzz on its tender buds, reminiscent of a crab’s hairy claws. Unlike Tie Guan Yin, which undergoes a medium level of oxidation, Mao Xie requires only light oxidation to bring out its naturally fresh and floral aroma. As a result, Mao Xie oolong is often crafted in a style similar to Qing Xiang Tie Guan Yin.
 
Mao Xie offers a greenish or light golden liquor and a smooth, gentle mouthfeel. It carries a subtle hint similar to the fragrance of Tie Guan Yin but presents a lighter and less full-bodied profile. This is partly due to its finer stems and smaller leaves, which yield a more delicate infusion compared to the thicker stems of Tie Guan Yin, which produce a stronger and richer liquor.
 
This tea is included in the value offers of Southern Fujian Oolong Tasting Set.