Earl Grey Tea History

29. 11. 2024

Earl Gray tea stands out for its distinctive taste, which comes from the addition of bergamot oil. Bergamot is a citrus fruit that is grown mainly in Italy. The oil extracted from its bark has a bright, fragrant and slightly floral aroma that complements the full flavor of black tea. This unique combination creates an instantly recognizable balanced and refreshing taste. The quality of Earl Gray tea can vary greatly depending on the base tea used and the quality of the bergamot oil. Traditional Earl Gray uses black tea as a base, such as Chinese Keemun or Indian Assam, but basically any tea can be used with better or worse results. Bergamot oil can also vary in quality, with natural bergamot oil generally providing a more authentic and complex flavor compared to synthetic alternatives.

Good Tea's Earl Gray teas are based on a blend of quality Indian and Chinese teas, flavored with organic bergamot essential oil. We offer two Earl Gray teas. The Imperial Classic type is a traditional recipe that adds a small amount of vanilla essential oil to the bergamot oil, which slightly softens the rather sharp taste of the bergamot. It is said that Queen Elizabeth drank just such Earl Grey, because bergamot without vanilla was not good for her stomach. The Lady Gray type is a classic Earl Gray with cornflower flowers that not only enrich the already rich aroma of this tea, but add the health benefits associated with consuming this herb.

Every black tea lover knows Earl Gray tea, probably the most famous flavored tea in the world. However, few people know that the tea is named after Charles, 2nd Earl Grey, and the British Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834. The stories about the origin of the tea blend for Earl Gray are many and varied. Some say the recipe was given thanks to a British diplomat when he saved the life of a wealthy Chinese merchant's son during his mission in China. Some say it was Earl Gray himself who traveled to China and rescued the boy. Neither story was ever supported by written evidence.

The use of bergamot is also difficult to explain. Bergamot is not a native Chinese fruit and it has been suggested that bergamot was selected when the mixture was mixed in Britain to replicate the citrus character of some other Chinese plant such as Neroli (orange blossom). Earl Grey's family say that bergamot was used due to the very hard local water in Northumberland, where Earl Gray lived. In contrast, Stephen Twining says that his family originally mixed the tea at the Grays' request to make it tasty when cooked in London water when the Earl was at Westminster, as London water was also apparently very hard and produced a lot of limescale.

While the Twinings claim to have been the original blenders of the tea, the Jacksons of Piccadilly also claim to be the owners of the original recipe. A 1928 advertisement for Jacksons states that the tea was "introduced in 1836 to fulfill the wishes of the late Earl Grey". The ad goes on to claim, "This fine blend of Chinese tea has quickly found favor with other connoisseurs who appreciate the delicate aroma and distinct flavor."

With no evidence, no letters or government documents to be found anywhere, it is impossible to prove or disprove any of the stories and claims. It may simply be that a clever marketing ploy at some time in the distant past permanently linked the Earl Gray family with citrus fruits and diplomatic missions in China. Regardless of origin, it has served Western tea culture well for 150 years, introducing many tea novices to the joy of tea drinking.