Fagus sylvatica, the European Beech or Common Beech, is a deciduous tree capable of reaching heights of up to 49 m (160 ft) tall and 3 m (10 ft) trunk diameter. Beech wood is an excellent firewood, easily split and burning for many hours with bright but calm flames. Chips of beech wood are used in the brewing of Budweiser beer as a fining agent. Beech logs are burned to dry the malts used in some German smoked beers, giving the beers their typical flavor. Beech is also used to smoke some cheeses.
The fruit of the beech, also called "Beechnuts" and "mast", are found in the small burrs that drop from tree in autumn. They are small, triangular, and edible, with a bitter, astringent taste.
Beech was a common writing material in Germanic societies before the development of paper. In modern day German, this connection is apparent, with the word for 'book' being 'das Buch' and 'Buche' for beech tree.