Visum liquidambaricolum Hayata on Tea Trees (Pangxiejiao)

In the Jingmai Mountain, Pu’er City, Yunnan Province, besides viewing the 10,000 mu tea garden and tasting the thousand-year tea, another attracting scenery is the parasitic plant “crab feet” with rich medicinal value on the ancient tea trees, such crab feet have absorbed aura and essence from tea for over one thousand of years.

What are crab feet? Crab feet are also called: Visum liquidambaricolum Hayata, or Viscum articulatum Burm, belonging to mistletoe family Genus Viscum. Crab feet are parasites in the arbor tea trees of higher ages.

Crab feet are green (turns into brownish yellow after picking and drying), shaped like small coral with fine fur which look like crab feet, which is how the name comes.

Crab feet grow in the ancient tea forest of Yunnan Lancang River Basin, which is the main tea-producing areas of Yunnan Pu’er Tea. In the Pu’er tea industry, crab feet in the ancient tea forest of Jingmai Mountain get the highest opinion in regard of quality. The crab feet of high value in Jingmai Mountain are not parasitic on the Liquidambar formosana Hance, nor on the Aluerites fordii Hemsi, in fact, they are parasitic on ancient tea tree of high ages. Some people collectively call them the Crab Feet Pu’er Tea, shaped in curly stretch with a number of sections, like a flat rod Juncus effusus, 3 to 4 inches long, and each section is short with solid medium inside.

Adding some crab feet into the tea will improve the taste of the tea, integrate the quality, and make the tea taste fuller, silkier, and sweeter.

In the Pu’er tea community, the term “crab legs” (螃蟹脚) is quite familiar to most tea enthusiasts, and some may already have some understanding of it. In the past, when traveling through various tea markets in Kunming, it was not uncommon to encounter certain tea companies using this substance. Some tea company owners even combined “crab legs” with raw Pu’er tea for brewing and tasting. So, what exactly are crab legs? What are their characteristics? Where are they mainly produced? What are their effects, contraindications, and uses? How did they become popular in the Pu’er tea market?

1. What are Crab Legs?

The term “crab legs” literally refers to something that looks like crab legs or a parasitic plant resembling crab legs. Besides the Chinese name “crab legs,” it is also known by other names such as maple mistletoe, maple tree mistletoe, tung tree mistletoe, and red camphor mistletoe.

2. What Are the Characteristics of Crab Legs?

According to Baidu Baike, crab legs are a shrub plant with a height of 0.5 to 0.7 meters. The base of the stem is nearly cylindrical, with flat branches and small twigs. The branches are either cross-opposite or forked, with internodes 2 to 4 centimeters long and 4 to 8 millimeters wide. The edges of the dried branches are thickened, with 5 to 7 longitudinal ribs. The leaves are reduced to scale-like structures.

Additionally, the shape and color of crab leg fruits vary due to the different parasitic host plants. For example, crab legs parasitic on maple trees have oval fruits that turn orange-red when ripe, while those parasitic on tung trees have oval fruits that turn egg-shaped and yellow when mature.

3. Main Production Areas and Distribution of Crab Legs

In China, the main production areas for crab legs include Yunnan, Fujian, and Taiwan. There are also distributions in Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi, Hubei, Guizhou, Guangxi, Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang. Internationally, crab legs can also be found in Nepal, Northeast India, Northern Thailand, Northern Vietnam, Malaysia, and Java in Indonesia.

4. What Are the Benefits and Effects of Crab Legs?

The greatest value of crab legs lies in its rich content of various organic substances. In medicine, it is mainly used to treat gastrointestinal issues (such as stomach diseases), urinary tract infections (such as inflammation and diabetes), with good results. In the Yunnan mountains, wild crab legs are used as a remedy for cough and phlegm by stir-frying fresh crab legs and soaking them in water.

Medical experts have found that crab legs are cold in nature, slightly sour in taste, and offer a sweet and refreshing aftertaste. They have detoxifying properties, aid digestion, clear bile, lower blood lipid levels, and blood pressure, and have notable effects on treating gastrointestinal issues and urinary tract infections. Regular consumption can prevent vascular sclerosis, eliminate fatigue, and prolong life. When combined with Pu’er tea, crab legs offer additional medicinal benefits, such as alleviating stomach pain and offering anti-cancer and health benefits.

For crab legs that parasitize ancient tea trees in Yunnan, they not only have their own health benefits but also include general health benefits of tea leaves, such as reducing high blood pressure, softening blood vessels, and improving digestion.

5. What Are the Medicinal Values of Crab Legs?

Crab legs are considered a “treasure” in medicinal terms, with the entire plant used for medicinal purposes. In addition to the benefits mentioned above, there are folk remedies claiming that crab legs can treat rheumatic joint pain, muscle strain, and remove wind and dampness. For example, tea farmers in Simao, Yunnan, use crab legs to treat acute cystitis.

6. How to Brew Crab Legs?

Due to the uniqueness of crab legs and their relative rarity in the Pu’er tea market, finding the best brewing method requires extensive experimentation. Based on personal experience, it is recommended to rinse crab legs before brewing to remove any surface impurities. Following the brewing method for aged Pu’er tea, using the “steeping method” is advised. The brewed tea has a yellow-green, bright color, with a faint medicinal aroma and a strong, smooth aftertaste.

7. How to Drink and Eat Crab Legs?

Crab legs can be consumed in various ways. One method is to brew it similarly to Pu’er tea. Another method is to cook it like tea. Since crab legs are cold in nature, they can also be mixed in small quantities with Pu’er tea during brewing. It is recommended to use a small amount of crab legs to avoid overshadowing the original flavor of Pu’er tea.

Additionally, crab legs are sometimes added to chicken soup, but this has yet to be tested.

8. What Are the Contraindications for Crab Legs?

Given the cold nature of crab legs, it is advised that people with cold constitutions should not consume them in excess. Pregnant women should also be cautious. No other specific contraindications have been identified.

9. What Is the Relationship Between Crab Legs and Yunnan Pu’er Tea?

In the Pu’er tea community, crab legs parasitizing ancient tea trees are often referred to as “crab leg Pu’er tea” or “crab leg tea.” However, this type of crab legs is not a tea product nor a category within Pu’er tea. It is considered a good pairing with tea rather than having a direct relationship.

The reason why crab legs from Yunnan are superior to those from other regions may be due to the unique benefits derived from the ancient tea trees they parasitize, which contribute to their exceptional quality.

10. How Much Do Crab Legs Cost Per Pound?

The price of crab legs varies based on market conditions and quality. Crab legs parasitizing ancient tea trees are much more expensive than those parasitizing other plants due to their rarity. The price is generally moderate relative to its scarcity.

Crab legs, as a parasitic plant found on ancient tea trees, are rare and valuable, comparable to snow lotus and cordyceps in terms of rarity. They offer significant medicinal and health benefits and are considered a “tea fungus” in the industry. The best crab legs come from the Jingmai ancient tea forest in Pu’er, Yunnan, which boasts a pristine environment conducive to their growth.