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East Frisian Tea Culture

Oostfreesken Tee

Specialised

East Frisia drinks more tea per head than anywhere else on earth — several times the British figure — and the ceremony is fixed: a lump of rock sugar (Kluntje) in the cup, strong Assam-based East Frisian blend poured over it so it cracks, then cream floated on from a curved spoon to make the Wulkje, the little cloud, and NOT STIRRED, so the drink goes bitter, then creamy, then sweet. Three cups is the minimum; the spoon laid in the cup means you have finished. Inscribed on Germany’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2016. ⚠ A LOW GERMAN EAST FRISIAN TRADITION, born of the Dutch East India trade — and not a pan-Frisian one.

Atlas — where and when

Communities and languages

  • East Frisians community documented

Languages: German

What is recorded

  • East Frisia has among the highest per-capita tea consumption recorded anywhere, several times the United Kingdom figure. The East Frisian tea ceremony was added to Germany’s national inventory of intangible cultural heritage in 2016. It is a Low German East Frisian tradition arising from the Dutch East India trade and is not a pan-Frisian practice. documented
  • Tea reaches East Frisia through the Dutch East India trade and becomes the regional drink. documented

Related foodways

This foodway relates to

  • related to British Foodways documented

    Two very different tea cultures out of the same East India trade.

Recipes

No recipes are filed under this cuisine yet.