Earl Grey: Tea of the Month | Newby Teas UAE

The name “Earl Grey” conjures images of British aristocracy dressed in all their finery, sipping the enticingly aromatic tea out of bone china. Two hundred years later, it remains a wonderful example of the sophistication of tea culture.

What is Earl Grey Tea? 

Earl Grey tea is a classic combination of black tea and bergamot oil. Bergamot is an aromatic perfumed citrus fruit, similar to an orange.

Originally from South-East Asia, most bergamot is now grown in Southern Italy. The skin is packed with fragrant oils that are extracted with each bergamot producing less than a gram of essential oil.

The word bergamot in Earl Grey tea comes from the Turkish “beg-armudi”, meaning “the prince’s pear”. This yellow or green citrus fruit is probably a hybrid of lemon and Seville orange.

Historically it was a scent adored by the aristocracy and was used to scent their person, a sort of medieval body spray. Some studies have shown the aroma of bergamot to have a calming effect, making this a great stress busting aroma.

Earl Grey Tea History

One such story goes that Earl Charles Grey was on a diplomatic trip to China when one of his men happened to save the life of a Chinese mandarin’s son. As thanks, the mandarin gifted some bergamot scented tea and the recipe for it to Earl Grey, who brought the recipe home.

There are, however, a few problems with this story. China was a closed to foreigners at the time and there are no records to show that Earl Grey ever visited China. There is also uncertainty whether bergamot had made its way to China at this time.

Another story tells of a Chinese tea master who created a unique tea perfectly suited to the lime heavy water on Earl Grey’s estate. Visiting guests loved the invention and so the Greys sent the recipe to a tea merchant. One problem with this story is that there is no record of which merchant first created the blend.

Today several tea merchants claim to be the inventor of the famous Earl Grey Tea, but the truth is that nobody knows the true origins of one of the world’s most popular teas.

It is possible that none of the above is true, and that the name Earl Grey was simply an elegant sounding name adopted for marketing purposes.

The flavouring of tea was not a new invention, there are records that show that the use of enjoyable flavours to improve the taste of low quality tea was an established practice in England at the beginning of the 1800s, and the Chinese had been flavouring tea with flowers such as jasmine for centuries before this even.

The earliest physical evidence regarding the origin of Earl Grey tea is from 1822. A piece in a local newspaper reads: “if we can discover any fine flavoured substance add it to the tea in a proper manner, we shall be able to improve low-priced and flavourless tea into a high-priced article of fine flavour” and goes on to say that “the flavouring substance found to agree best with the original flavour of tea is the oil of bergamot”

What is Earl Grey named for?

Earl Grey tea is named after a real person, The 2nd Earl of Grey, Charles, who served as Prime Minister of Britain from 1830-1834. His leadership saw radical reforms to the electoral system and the abolition of slavery in Britain.

However, he will not be remembered for his political achievements, but rather for the tea. There are many myths and stories of how black tea and bergamot were partnered, and why it was named after Earl Grey.

What does Earl Grey Tea Taste Like?

Regardless of its origins, Earl Grey tea went on to take the world by storm and is now a cupboard staple. The citrusy notes pair perfectly with sweet treats such as lemon cake, making this an ideal afternoon tea choice. Our luxury Earl Grey blend uses finest quality Assam tea with premium bergamot oil, with no artificial flavourings in sight The malty Assam tea is bold enough to compliment the bright, perfume aroma of the bergamot, without being drowned out. For a different take on the classic why not try our Earl Green blend? Bergamot and prime season green tea combine to make a light and cleansing brew.