Spices – the Aroma of the Whole Wide World
Germany imports around 90,000 tons of spices annually, from which about 30 percent is pepper,16 percent paprika and 4 to 6 percent each of kummel, ginger, coriander and nutmeg.
The main spice producing countries are China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Brazil and India. After the USA, Germany is the second largest importer of spices in the world, even though use here in Germany is only around 550 grams per head of the population.
About 60 percent of the spices imported into Germany are re-exported later. This is due to Germany’s traditionally very strong food industry, especially in the north, and the extensive spice trading in Hamburg, which has been able to exploit its opportunities in Central and South-Eastern Europe in recent years.
The Port of Hamburg handles about 80,000 tons of spices annually. Many Hamburg quartermen and warehousing companies offer specialised storage. Their services include, cleaning, stoning, and sieving as well as processing e.g. steam sterilization and grinding.