East Frisian Tea Culture

Have tea in style

The East Frisian tea culture is far more than just making and enjoying a cup of tea – it’s a living tradition. UNESCO has even recognised it as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

If you’re visiting East Frisia, you won’t be able to miss the locals’ national drink: East Frisian tea. Everyone in East Frisia drinks around 300 litres of tea per year – a world record. And the tradition goes back nearly 400 years. Thanks to a unique method of preparation, every cup becomes a miniature ritual. Enjoying a traditional tea time in a cosy tea room is a must for a truly authentic East Frisian experience.

But do it in style!

The art of East Frisian tea

Delicate porcelain cups, a small jug for cream, a special spoon for serving it, a sugar bowl – the ‘Kluntjepott’ – with tongs, a tea warmer and a teapot. If you’re going to do it, do it properly. In East Frisia, the process of making tea is something to be savoured – and so is the act of drinking it. There’s even a ‘three-sip rule’: the first sip reveals the smoothness of the cream, the second the full-bodied flavour of the tea and the third the sweetness of the sugar.

Ostfriesische Teezeremonie — © TourismusMarketing Niedersachsen GmbH, Henning Scheffen

Das Bild zeigt eine Innenaufnahme vom Bünting Teemuseum — CC-BY-SA Stadtmarketing Stadt Leer

Ostfriesentee — © TourismusMarketing Niedersachsen GmbH, Henning Scheffen

Das Bild zeigt verschiedene Teesorten vom Bünting Teemuseum — CC-BY-SA Stadtmarketing Stadt Leer

A ritual steeped in tradition

An experience in every sip

Hot East Frisian tea is poured over a lump of rock sugar (known as a ‘Kluntje’), which crackles as it dissolves. Cream is then gently added anti-clockwise into the cup to create the distinctive little cloud – called a ‘Wulkje’.  

But whatever you do, don’t stir it! The spoon serves only one purpose: when you’ve had enough tea, simply place it in your cup. Otherwise, expect at least three servings – no need to ask – because ‘three is an East Frisian’s right’. The no-stirring tradition dates back to a time when sugar was expensive and couldn’t be allowed to dissolve too quickly.

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Not all East Frisian tea is the same

‘Authentic East Frisian tea’

East Frisian tea is a strong blend typically made from up to 20 different black teas, mainly Assam.  But only tea blended in East Frisia itself can legitimately be called ‘authentic East Frisian tea’. It’s freshly produced in renowned tea houses such as Thiele, Bünting and Onno Behrends. 

If you’d like to learn more about how East Frisian tea is prepared and the region’s rich tea culture, be sure to visit the East Frisian Tea Museum in Norden or the Bünting Tea Museum in Leer. 

Bünting Teemuseum
Brunnenstraße 33
26789 Leer
Tel: +49 5491 99 22 0 44

Website or E-Mail

Ostfriesisches Teemuseum Norden
Am Markt 36
26506 Norden
Tel: +49 4931 12100

Website or E-Mail