Being the richest city in Germany and possibly the most decadent, Hamburg loves the finer things in life.
teALCHEMY travelled to the bustling maritime city to check out Coteca- a Global Industry Expo and trade fair of coffee, tea and cocoa. Always a major port access point for the European tea trade, Hamburg is now making a name for itself as the perfect place for trade expos.
Exhibitors came from all over the world. For tea sommeliers, there was a two day conference on topics of the booming tea market and current trends. Experts included importers/exporters, manufacturers, roasters, associations and farmers local to the many tea-rich countries abroad. Manufacturers demonstrated the entire production process from raw leaves to the final, polished product.
Guests were treated to tea tastings, workshops and samples. Designers showed off their unique swag. We especially loved these Kanne & Company sleek glasswares. We tasted a Korean matcha powder out of adorable “love” tea tins offering a smooth vegetal broth.
For a more historical view of Hamburg, we visited the beautiful terra cotta Speicherstadt (“city of warehouses”) in the port. Built in the early 19th Century for trading goods, the Speicherstadt is now a tourist attraction. The companies residing here are major world producers of tea, coffee, cocoa and other goods- our favourites.