Earl Grey tea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Earl Grey tea is any tea blend with a distinctive flavour and aroma derived from the addition of oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit. Traditionally the term "earl grey" was applied only to black tea; however, today the term is also applied to both green and white teas that contain oil of bergamot.
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[edit] History
The blend is named after the 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s, who reputedly received a gift, probably a diplomatic perquisite, of tea flavoured with bergamot oil. The legend usually involves a grateful Chinese mandarin whose son was rescued from drowning by one of Lord Grey's men, although this blend of tea was first made from fermented black Indian and "Ceylonese" (Sri Lankan) teas. Green tea is much more popular in China than black. Thus, it seems somewhat unlikely that they would have had a recipe for what we now call Earl Grey to bestow on visitors, though over the years many other varieties of tea have been used. Also, Lord Grey never set foot in China. Another version has the son of an Indian raja being rescued from a tiger by one of Grey's servants.
The tea proved so popular in the Prime Minister's drawing room that his tea merchants, Twinings in the Strand, were given a sample and asked to come up with a close match. Twinings sold the first "Earl Grey's tea" in the British market. Twinings Earl Grey blend includes China tea, Indian Darjeeling, Ceylon, and a hint of Lapsang souchong, a strong, "smoky" black tea. Although it is often served black (without milk), many of the upper classes (contrary to belief) drink it with a little milk (which gives the tea a murky grey colour, similar to that of dull washing up water).
Jacksons of Piccadilly claim that it was they who 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 China tea since the beginning. This rivalry between the two tea brands continues despite both being owned by the same parent company today.
While quite popular, some quip that the communists drink only Earl Grey because they don't believe in proper-tea.
[edit] Similar teas
- Twinings also has a similar tea called "Lady Grey" with Seville orange, lemon and bergamot. At one time it was believed the addition of fruits would counteract improper impulses that tea was widely believed to have upon the female temperament. [verification needed]
[edit] Earl Grey tea trivia
- Earl Grey tea was the favourite tea of Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.[1] It was also the favourite drink of the late Grant McLennan, of the band The Go Betweens.
- Fictional characters who prefer Earl Grey tea include Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation (who, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, routinely asked the replicator for Earl Grey as "Tea. Earl Grey. Hot."), Dr. Arroway in Contact, Artemis Fowl of the Eoin Colfer books, Sir Leigh Teabing from the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, the goddess Belldandy in the anime series Oh My Goddess, and Bruce Wayne in the comic book series Batman.
- "Weird Al" Yankovic, on the track "White & Nerdy" from his 2006 album Straight Outta Lynwood mentions Earl Grey Tea as the White and Nerdy alternative to the gangsta's 40.
