East Frisia
The world's most prolific tea drinkers are not in the UK or in Ireland, but in a little-known German region that has developed a unique and fascinating tradition.
In Germany's flat and sparsely populated north-western corner, a region known as East Frisia, an old tradition has helped locals set an unusual record. Here they drink, on average, more tea than anyone else in the world.
"East Frisians consume a good 300 litres of tea per capita every year," says Kyra Schaper of the German Tea and Herbal Infusions Association. "This makes them world leaders."
The Hamburg-based association describes East Frisians as "undisputed tea world champions". It notes that not only do they drink far more than the German average, but they surpass consumption in other tea-drinking cultures around the world – a record certified by the German Records Institute in 2021 after comparing German statistics with international ones from the International Tea Committee in London.
One East Frisian who can proudly talk about her region's unique tea tradition is Celia Brandenburger, who was raised in East Frisia and is the director of the local tea museum in Leer, a quiet town of cobbled streets close to the Dutch border. For her, the black tea served in a small porcelain cup decorated with an elaborate rose blossom is much more than just a beverage that warms her on a cold, grey morning. Rather, she says, tea is brewed to create a unique atmosphere. It's a tea ceremony for all the senses.
To begin the ceremony, Brandenburger put a piece of rock sugar – or Kluntje – in the bottom of a cup. As she poured the tea, it produced a strong aroma followed by a soft, crackling sound as it hit the sugar. She then scooped some thick cream onto a silver spoon and circled the cup's inner rim, letting the cream gently slide in. She did this anti-clockwise, "so as to stop the passing of time".
What came next was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it spectacle: the cream sank to the bottom but then quickly bubbled up, creating an effect that locals call "Wulkje", which means small clouds. These clouds slowly came together and formed a white layer of cream, which is meant to remain on the surface. The tea must not be stirred, Brandenburger warned, so that it can be tasted in three phases.
The first sip tastes mostly of the thick cream; the second highlights the strong black tea; and the final one is a sweet note of the dissipating rock sugar. These three phases are then repeated as East Frisians normally drink at least three cups at a time. The host always pours the tea and only stops when a person discreetly places a spoon in an empty cup.
"This tea ceremony really marks our identity," said Brandenburger. "It's something that unites East Frisians. East Frisians are rather individualistic, but when it comes to tea, they usually agree."