Page 67 - UNESCO_Zatec_2021_A4

What are hops?
A hop bine (Humulus lupulus L. in Latin) is an important
technical crop and raw material for beer production.
It is also known for its healing effects, such as
prevention against Helicobacter pylori (bacteria that
causes stomach ulcers) or for menopausal comfort. In
the 16 century, the doctor Tadeáš Hájek from Hájek
th
advised the use of raw plant juice, root, the decoction
of leaves and cones of hop plants for various diseases.
The therapeutic effects of hops could thus relieve
a patient suffering from leprosy, liver, and urinary
disorders, and constipation.

Hops were also valued in the 8 century by the
th
Arabic physician Mesüe, who recommended them
for blood purification or as a treatment for yellow
fever. Gourmets in ancient Rome also enjoyed hop
leaves, and in the Middle Ages, the nobles were said to
consume young hop shoots with salt, pepper, vinegar,
and oil.

The cultivation of hops is closely linked to the
production of beer. Hop cones give the beer 67
a characteristic bitter taste, aroma, and, at the same
time, act as a preservative. Hops contribute decisively
to the overall character of the beer. Their advantages
have been widely known since the Middle Ages and
unreservedly recognised by experts worldwide. The
balanced content of individual resins, polyphenols,
essential oils, and other substances in the lupulin A typical Žatec building, the chimney of a former packaging house and hop
warehouse in the town centre, Žatec, 2014
grain of the cone forms a unique centuries-old natural
array of properties.
Picked hop cones, 2016
A hop bine is a perennial clockwise fast-growing
plant that may last up to twenty or more years in
a well-managed hop field. For good cultivation, it
requires artificial support and enough moisture
obtained, mainly from the soil, using a prosperous
root system, usually reaching up to 2 metres in length.
The hop plant needs sufficient sunshine (in domestic
conditions, the average duration of sunshine in the
growing season is 1,300–1,500 hours), with a growing
season (April to August) and a thermal constant
(2,000–2,800 °C). The plant still requires real manual
labour and year-round care.

Hop soils are defined as those which have
a considerable topsoil thickness, an adequate
proportion of humus, good water and air capacity,