East Frisian Tea Ceremony – Everything You Should Know

The East Frisian Tea Ceremony – more than just quenching your thirst

If you are invited to tea in Ostfriesland, one thing is paramount. The comfort. Contrary to many prejudices, the people on the coast are extremely hospitable. It is not uncommon to find lovingly embroidered towels with the inscription “East Frisian coziness always has a cup of tea ready” in East Frisian kitchens. But enjoying this hot drink follows certain rules in northern Germany.

• The accessories needed for this ceremony used to be a popular part of the trousseau. Delicate cups and bulbous jugs with the East Frisian rose pattern, playful cream jugs, warmers, Kluntje tongs, and cream spoons are indispensable in East Frisian cuisine.
• The true East Frisian swears by real East Frisian mixtures. These black tea compositions have an extremely strong taste and are both aromatic and slightly bitter. Tea from the bag is usually frowned upon. The connoisseur works with a tea filter.
• One teaspoon of tea is filled into the tea filter for each cup. Plus an extra “for the pot”. The tea filter is then hung in the preheated pot and scalded with water at a temperature of around 70 degrees. The brewing time should not be less than 5 minutes. Then the filter is removed and the pot is placed on a warmer.
• The typical East Frisian cups are kept very flat so that the three taste experiences complement each other perfectly. Because the East Frisian never stirs his tea but enjoys one layer of deliciousness after the other. First the creamy cream, then the bitter tea, and finally the sweet rock candy.
• That’s why it’s important not to make a mistake in the order of the flavor-giving components. The typical large pieces of candy are called Kluntje in East Friesland. A piece of this is first placed on the bottom of the cup with the help of Kluntje tongs.
• Now the tea is poured very slowly over the Kluntje into the cup. The tea only really has the perfect temperature when the candy crackles comfortably.
• Now comes the supreme discipline of the East Frisian tea ceremony. The application of the Wulkje, i.e. the cloud of cream. For this purpose, richly decorated spoons bent at a 90-degree angle, the so-called raw temples, are used. With these, a portion of cream is removed from the pot and very carefully “placed” on the surface of the tea.
• If this technique is performed carefully, the cream will slowly sink and rise again in clouds. The East Frisian has not yet drunk his tea but is enjoying the almost meditative spectacle. Drinking tea also means relaxing.
• Dree is East Friesians, right? This means that every guest is entitled to at least three cups of tea. If you drink less, you are often considered impolite, but if you drink significantly more, it is sometimes seen as greedy.
• Even if the tea must not be stirred under any circumstances, a teaspoon is an essential part of the ceremony. It is used for silent communication between host and guest. As long as the guest has the spoon next to the cup, the host will keep pouring more without being asked. If the guest puts the spoon in the cup, however, he signals that he does not want any refills.