Did you know that crab legs also grow on trees?
Channel: Indigenous people and culture世界民族部落与历史文化
Date: 2022-12-11

Crab legs are a perennial herbaceous plant that live as a parasite on old tea trees. Local people began calling them “crab legs” because they are thin, knotted, and hairy, like crab legs. These crab legs were first discovered on ancient qiaomu tea trees on Jingmai Mountain. It is said that they only grow on trees older than one hundred years old. 
The entire crab leg plant is considered a treasure; that is, the whole plant has medicinal properties. It can clean bile, act as a diuretic, and reduce turbidity and lipids - all important concepts in Chinese medicine. It smells strongly of bacteria, algae, and tea. 
The Compendium of Materia Medica (本草纲目), an encyclopedia of medicinal herbs published during the Ming Dynasty, references these crab legs. It states that “those shaped like grasshopper legs are good.”
There are many ways to enjoy crab legs. Most simply, they can be steeped and enjoyed on their own. Like Pu’er tea, they can be steeped over 20 times. The liquid becomes a bright yellow-green color and tastes fragrant and fresh. It is smooth on the tongue, has sweet and rich tones, stimulates saliva, and quenches thirst. 
Crab legs can also be steeped together with Pu’er tea. When added to tea, crab legs can improve the tea’s quality, making it taste more full, smooth, and sweet. They can also be added to chicken soup and other dishes.
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