Earl Grey Tea

Although we know that Earl Grey tea was most likely named after Charles Grey II, the British Prime Minister in the 19th century, the exact origins of the tea are not entirely clear. Chatterton identifies two main theories about how it came to be, which he says are both “speculative”:

Theory One: Charles Grey saved the life of a Chinese man who loved brewing tea, and as a token of gratitude, he was given (Earl Grey tea).

Theory Two: It was blended based on the water profile of the Earl’s household. Because the water contained a high level of minerals, they needed a tea whose flavor would complement the water rather than clash with it. They believed citrus would do the trick. So Earl Grey tea was prepared for the Earl and his family. I couldn’t find any solid evidence to support this, but it might be more plausible than the Earl saving the life of that Chinese man.

Regardless of its true history, Earl Grey tea became extremely popular in Britain by the late 19th century, thanks to a company we still know today—Twinings—the first to sell the tea, which mainly spread to the United States through the Industrial Revolution.

The base of Earl Grey tea is black tea, and many different varieties—from Ceylon to Assam—can be used to make Earl Grey.

Chatterton says that the main flavoring in Earl Grey tea is bergamot, a citrus fruit similar to the Meyer lemon. He adds: “The flavor of this tea has a strong floral note, with a very distinctive lemon-citrus taste and a hint of grapefruit.” To flavor the tea, some use bergamot oil, extracted from the peel, while others add the peel directly to the tea leaves, giving the tea a stronger flavor. According to Chatterton, the best and most widely available variety of bergamot comes from Calabria, Italy. Calabrian chili surprises those of us who have always dreamed of making spicy pizza toppings here.

There are also many different varieties of Earl Grey, such as Red Earl Grey, which blends rooibos and bergamot, or Lady Earl Grey, which adds blue cornflower.