User:SplishSplashxer/Earl Grey tea

https://www.teaforte.com/teanotes/5-secrets-to-the-perfect-cup-of-earl-grey-tea

History

The Earl Grey blend, or "Earl Grey's Mixture", is assumed to be named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s and author of the Reform Bill of 1832 and the slavery abolition act of 1833. He reputedly received a gift, probably a diplomatic perquisite, of tea flavoured with bergamot oil as a result of his ending the monopoly held by the East India Company on trade between Britain and China. A "Grey's Tea" is known from the 1850s, but the first known published references to an "Earl Grey" tea are advertisements by Charlton & Co. of Jermyn Street in London in the 1880s.

According to one legend, a grateful Chinese mandarin whose son was rescued from drowning by one of Lord Grey's men first presented the blend to the Earl in 1803. The tale appears to be apocryphal, as Lord Grey never set foot in China and the use of bergamot oil to scent tea was then unknown in China. However, this tale is subsequently told (and slightly corrected) on the Twinings website, as "having been presented by an envoy on his return from China".

According to the Grey family, the tea was specially blended by a Chinese mandarin for Lord Grey, to suit the water at Howick Hall, the family seat in Northumberland, using bergamot in particular to offset the preponderance of lime in the local water. Lady Grey used it to entertain in London as a political hostess, and it proved so popular that she was asked if it could be sold to others, which is how Twinings came to market it as a brand.

Jacksons of Piccadilly claim they originated Earl Grey's Tea, Lord Grey having given the recipe to Robert Jackson & Co. partner George Charlton in 1830. According to Jacksons, the original recipe has been in constant production and has never left their hands. Theirs has been based on Chinese black tea since the beginning.

Records from the 19th century suggest that a tea merchant by the name of William Grey created earl grey tea. William Grey advertised his "celebrated Grey's mixture in publications from the time, and may have popularized the blend.

A 2010 survey found that a significant minority of people in the United Kingdom associate drinking Earl Grey tea with being "posh" or upper class.

In 2012 researchers at the Oxford English Dictionary found the earliest reference to Earl Grey, referring to a bergamot flavoured tea from 1924 that seemed to be used to enhance the taste of low quality teas.

Preparation and variations[edit]

"Earl Grey" as applied to tea is not a registered trademark, and numerous tea companies produce their own versions of Earl Grey tea, using a wide variety of tea leaves and additives.

Bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia) is a small citrus tree which blossoms during the winter and is grown commercially in Calabria, Italy. It is probably a hybrid of Citrus limetta (sweet lime) and Citrus aurantium (bitter orange).

Earl Grey Tea is a black tea. This means that the Earl Grey tea leaves undergo an oxidation process. The oxidation of the leaves results in a change of the chemical composition of the leaves and a stronger flavor. Occasionally, green tea leaves or oolong leaves are used in place of the black tea leaves. When this is the case, the oxidation process is skipped and the tea becomes Earl Green Tea. There are two methods of flavoring the black tea leaves to get Earl Grey Tea. The first, which is said to result in a stronger citrus flavor, is the coating or spraying of the black tea leaves with bergamot essential oils. The second method is the addition of dried bergamot orange rinds to the Earl Grey Tea blend. With this method, the citrus flavor infuses the black tea leaves during the brewing process.

The brewing process is susceptible to personal preference. When preparing Earl Grey Tea, water, a method for heating the water, something to heat it in, an Earl Grey Tea blend and a pitcher or cup for the tea will be necessary. Steeping time for Earl Grey Tea is similarly controversial. Steeping for too long will result in a bitter flavor and between 2 and 4 minutes is the recommended amount.

• There are different varieties of a tea known as Lady Grey; the two most common kinds being cornflower Lady Grey and citrus Lady Grey, which combine Earl Grey tea with cornflower and Seville oranges, respectively. "Lady Grey" is a trademark of Twinings.
• A beverage called "London Fog" is a combination of Earl Grey, steamed milk and vanilla syrup.
• There are variations available including such ingredients as jasmine, as well as various flowers. A blend with added rose petals is known as French Earl Grey, which has become the most popular blend at Australian tea store T2.
• A variety called Russian Earl Grey often contains ingredients such as citrus peels and lemon grass in addition to the usual black tea and bergamot.
• Also, several companies make a tea called Earl Grey Green or "Earl Green" tea, combining green tea leaves rather than the traditional black tea leaves with bergamot flavouring. A similar variation called Earl Grey White or "Earl White" tea combines white tea leaves with bergamot flavouring.
• Rooibos Earl Grey is a variation using this South African herbal tea as a substitute for the conventional form made with black tea.
• Fortnum & Mason produce Smoky Earl Grey, containing bergamot, Lapsang Souchong, and Gunpowder tea. It is reputedly the favoured tea of Queen Elizabeth II.

Popular Culture

Earl Grey tea is mentioned in many forms of media, most prominently in film and television. Some film works in which it is featured include:

• Start Trek: The Next Generation: Earl Grey tea is the preferred drink of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, who is famous for his quote, "Tea, Earl Grey, hot."
• Winnie the Pooh: Earl Grey is Winnie the Pooh's favorite tea. He drinks it for relaxation.
• Doctor Who: Earl Grey was a favorite tea of the seventh Doctor.
• Black Butler: Earl Grey is the drink of choice of the protagonist Ciel Phantomhive and is important to the story's plotline.

Earl Grey tea is also featured in books, including:

• The DaVinci Code: Earl Grey is Sir Leigh Teabing's favorite drink.
• Artemis Fowl: Earl Grey is the favorite drink of the protagonist of the same name.