Earl Grey tea contains bergamot orange oil as a flavouring which gives it the distinctive flavour tea connoisseurs love. This type of tea has been known since the early 1800s, or maybe even before, in England. This tea is believed to be named after the second Earl Grey who was the Prime Minister of Great Britain in the 1830s. He received a gift of bergamot oil flavoured tea.

The bergamot orange is a citrus tree which blossoms during the winter. One legend states that a Chinaman’s son was saved from drowning by one of Lord Grey’s men in China, so he gave the tea as a token of gratitude. Another tale says an envoy from China brought the tea into England. The Grey family today say the tea was blended by a Chinese Mandarin for Lord Grey, and he added bergamot because the local water had a lot of lime scale in it and the bergamot offset the harsh mineral flavour.

Have you heard of London Fog? That is a special tea made with Earl Grey, vanilla syrup and steamed milk. There are lots of other variations to Earl Grey, some of which feature rose petals, Seville oranges, lavender, jasmine and other fragrant ingredients. In this video you can see a professional tea sommelier making Earl Grey. She offers plenty of tips. The tea should brew for about 5 minutes before you serve it, in order for the flavour to fully develop. Add sugar and/or milk if you wish. A slice of lemon instead of the milk also suits the flavour of this type of tea. Continue reading →