East Frisian tea

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 5 tsp tea (East Frisian blend), loose
• e.g. boiling water (equivalent to one can of water)
• some rock sugar (Kluntje)
• some cream or cream with a high fat content

Instructions

Working time approx. 3 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 5 minutes; Total time approx. 8 minutes

Teedied! Delicious Koppke tea with Kluntje and Rohm

Preparation: First, rinse a large-bulbous teapot with boiling water to warm it up. The amount of Assam blend depends on the number of people drinking tea. Prepare a teapot warmer with a tea light, as the tea should stay hot. A good East Frisian blend won’t become bitter even after standing in the pot on the warmer for a long time. Assam tea forms the basis and is rounded off with portions of Darjeeling and Ceylon tea. One teaspoon per cup and another spoonful ‘for the pot’ – that’s the right amount. Then, first fill the pot with just enough boiling water to cover the loose tea leaves. Now place the lid on the pot and let the East Frisian tea steep on a warmer for about 3-5 minutes. Then fill the teapot completely with boiling water. Insert a tea whisk into the spout of the pot. This ensures that no loose tea leaves get into the cup when pouring. It also prevents dripping. The East Frisian tea ceremony: “Een Kluntje as’n Sliepsteen und een Wulk Rohm.” East Frisian tea is drunk from small, rather shallow cups made of fine porcelain. A Kluntje is placed in each cup before pouring. The tea is then poured into the cup onto the Kluntje. It’s an almost sacred moment, because immediately you can hear that characteristic, quiet crackling sound. Using the typical curved cream spoon, which resembles a tiny ladle, a small amount of cream is poured into the tea in a circular motion along the rim of the cup. This cream first sinks and then rises to the surface as “een Wulk Rohm.” The tea is traditionally not stirred. With the first sip, you taste the mildness of the cream, with the next sip, the strong aroma of the tea from the rim of the cup, and finally, the delicate sweetness of the Kluntje from the bottom of the cup. If the tea has become too strong, you can top up with more boiling water. When you’ve had enough after the usual three cups of tea, you simply place your spoon (de Leepel) in the empty cup. This is how every East Frisian knows you’re done with tea.