 | Europe: Germany |  |
Germany has a cold climate that is nowhere suitable for growing the tea plant Camellia sinensis. Germany does, however, grow a number of herbs, although it is not well-known for its herb production. Germany is not well-known for tea drinking, but its tea consumption has increased greatly in recent years. One region of Germany, East Frisia or Ostfriesland, has a rich and old tradition of tea drinking, and is the origin of a style of black tea called ostfriesen tea. The tea market in Germany tends to be discerning, with many consumers interested in high-quality loose teas and single-estate or single-origin teas.[1] Germany is also a very large importer of herbs, in part because the medical system in Germany actively supports the use of herbs for medicinal purposes.
Often one will see "German chamomile" for sale...this refers to a species of Chamomile, Matricaria recutita, which is sometimes grown in Germany, but also grown in a number of other countries.
1. Sanne van der Wal, Sustainability Issues in the Tea Sector (PDF), Stichting Onderzoek Multinationale Ondernemingen, Amsterdam, June 2008.
Most common styles of tea produced in Germany:
| Style: | # Teas: | List Teas: |
| Chamomile Tea | 1 | List Teas |
This list represents the number of individual teas listed on RateTea.net and is not an adequate indicator of the quantity of these styles produced in Germany.