Hop

Without Žatec hops there would be no pilsner – for centuries Czech hop cones have given beer its delicate bitterness and aroma.

A perennial climber of the hemp family whose shoots twine clockwise and can climb 7–8 m in a single season. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants – only female plants are grown, because their inflorescences, called cones, contain yellow glands of lupulin. The bitter acids and essential oils it contains give beer its bitterness and aroma and also act as a preservative. In the wild, hops grow in damp thickets and riparian forests.

Significance in the country

Czechia is one of the world’s largest hop producers, and “Žatecký chmel” (Saaz hops) is an EU-protected geographical indication. It was the Žatec variety that gave its character to the first pilsner, brewed in Plzeň in 1842.

Where it grows

Grown in three hop-growing regions: Žatec (around Žatec and Louny in the Ústí Region and Rakovník in the Central Bohemian Region), Úštěk on the Elbe, and Tršice near Olomouc.

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