Earl Grey tea - wikipedia Earl Grey tea Earl Grey tea leaves A cup of the brewed tea Earl Grey tea is a tea blend which has been flavoured with the addition of oil of bergamot. Bergamot is a variety of orange that is often grown in Italy and France. The rind 's fragrant oil is added to black tea to give Earl Grey its signature pungent punch. Traditionally, Earl Grey was made from black teas, but tea companies have since begun to offer Earl Grey in other varieties as well, such as green or oolong. Contents 1 History 2 Preparation and variations 2.1 Twinings reformulation 3 Use as a flavouring 3.1 Alcoholic preparations 4 Toxicology 5 Footnotes 6 External links History Tea flavoured with bergamot, which was used to imitate the more expensive types of Chinese tea, has been known in England since at least the 1820s. In 1837 there is a record of court proceedings against Brocksop & Co. who were found to have supplied tea `` artificially scented, and, drugged with bergamot in this country. '' 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. 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. He reputedly received a gift, probably a diplomatic perquisite, of tea flavoured with bergamot oil. 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 ''. 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. According to the Grey family, the tea was specially blended by a Chinese mandarin - speaking individual 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. 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. Preparation and variations Lady Grey tea leaves `` 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. A bergamot orange from Calabria, Italy 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 ). There are different varieties of a tea known as Lady Grey ; the two most common kinds ( 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. 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. Twinings reformulation Twinings reformulated their Earl Grey tea in April 2011, claiming to have added `` an extra hint of bergamot and citrus ''. The overwhelmingly negative comments on the Web site were picked up by the press, who drew attention to the establishment of a related protest group on Facebook. Use as a flavouring Tin of Earl Grey tea Earl Grey tea is used as a flavouring for many types of cakes and confectionery, such as chocolates, as well as savoury sauces. For sauces, the flavour is normally created by adding tea bags to the basic stock, boiling for a few minutes and then discarding the bags. For sweet recipes, loose tea is often added to melted butter or hot cream and strained after the flavour is infused. Alcoholic preparations There is a considerable history of Earl Grey tea being used as a drink mixer, in particular for gin, within the British Isles, somewhat similar in principle to the Irish coffee, though this is seldom practised today. During the later 19th century, poorer working class households began to combine the drinks as a minimum proof alcohol volume began to be meaningfully applied, following an 1855 revision to the Weights and Measures Act, to the relatively inexpensive spirit, making it unpalatable when taken neat. Being somewhat similarly flavoured, the two made for an affordable and pleasant pairing, in addition to which the necessary boiling during preparation plus its proof alcohol level helped disarm water - borne contaminants, then a significant public health risk. The drink became associated briefly with middle - class - particularly, female - alcoholism during the interwar years of the 20th century ; it was during this time that the preparation was first referred to as a `` Moseley Tea Service '', after the wealthy area of Birmingham. Although the drink was never to achieve the ubiquity of the Irish coffee, it continues like many retro cocktails to be offered as a niche item in some contemporary bars and restaurants. Toxicology In several studies, application of high concentrations of some brands of bergamot oil directly to the skin was shown to increase redness after exposure to ultraviolet light ; however, this should not apply to ordinary oral consumption of Earl Grey tea. Bergamot is a source of bergamottin which, along with the chemically related compound 6 ', 7 ' - dihydroxybergamottin, is known to be responsible for grapefruit -- drug interactions in which the consumption of the juice affects the metabolism of a variety of pharmaceutical drugs. In one case study, a patient who consumed four litres of Earl Grey tea per day reported muscle cramps, which were attributed to the function of the bergapten in bergamot oil as a potassium channel blocker. The symptoms subsided upon reducing his consumption of Earl Grey tea to one litre per day. Footnotes Jump up ^ Richardson, Ben ( 6 April 2006 ). `` Bergamot growers get whiff of success ''. BBC News. Jump up ^ Jane Pettigrew ( Mar 7, 2014 ). Tea Classified : A Tealover 's Companion. Pavilion Books. Jump up ^ `` Foods of England ''. Retrieved 1 January 2013. Jump up ^ Kramer, Ione. All the Tea in China. China Books, 1990. ISBN 0 - 8351 - 2194 - 1. Pages 180 - 181. Jump up ^ Pettigrew, Jane ( 2004 ). The Tea Companion : A Connoisseur 's Guide ( Connoisseur 's Guides ). Philadelphia, Pa : Running Press Book Publishers. ISBN 0 - 7624 - 2150 - 9. Jump up ^ `` Earl Grey ''. Twiningsusashop.com. Retrieved 2010 - 12 - 07. Jump up ^ Fenix, Micky ( 24 July 2008 ). `` More Than Just A Pot Of Tea ''. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Stephen Twining traced back his family 's business to the 1700s, when coffee houses as meeting places were the vogue. How ironic that it was in the company 's coffee house where tea was introduced. Earl Grey tea makes Stephen Twining wish he could move back time because the company did not lay claim to the formula, or the name, when they had produced the blend for the British Prime Minister who was known as the second Earl Grey. Jump up ^ Pagano, Margareta ( 3 July 1985 ). `` The secret of Earl Grey tea is changing hands at last / Sale of Jacksons of Piccadilly to Fitch Lovell food manufacturing group ''. The Guardian ( London ). The original secret formula for Earl Grey tea is changing hands after 155 years with its sole proprietors, the Jacksons of Piccadilly tea merchants... with the sale goes the special recipe of the Earl Grey blend which was entrusted to Robert Jackson 's partner, George Charlton, in 1830 by the second Earl Grey. To this day the formula -- which mixes black China tea with other unknown teas -- has remained unaltered. Jump up ^ `` Howick Hall website ''. Howickhallgardens.org. Retrieved 2011 - 01 - 28. Jump up ^ `` Want to seem posh ? Employ a cleaner and drink Earl Grey ''. The Telegraph. Jump up ^ `` Survey Results ''. 20 May 2010. Retrieved 15 Jan 2016. Jump up ^ `` Review : Twinings Earl Grey tea ''. Retrieved 2014 - 12 - 01. ^ Jump up to : Houston, Muiris ( 30 September 2002 ). `` Have your cuppa, but go easy on the Earl Grey ''. The Irish Times... Bergamot contains the psoralen derivatives bergapten and bergamottin. The adverse effects of bergamot oil in this patient are explained by the action of bergapten as a potassium channel blocker within muscle cells. By interrupting the normal flow of potassium, the cells become hyperexcitable, leading to the visible movements and cramps within the muscles. By drinking four litres a day of Earl Grey ( equivalent to at least 16 cups of tea ), the Austrian man was simply overdosing on essence of bergamot. Jump up ^ `` Citrus bergamia ''. Germplasm Resources Information Network ( GRIN ). Agricultural Research Service ( ARS ), United States Department of Agriculture ( USDA ). Retrieved 11 December 2017. Jump up ^ `` RFLP Analysis of the Origin of Citrus Bergamia, Citrus Jambhiri, and Citrus Limonia ''. International Society for Horticultural Science. Retrieved 18 February 2012. Jump up ^ `` Justicia trademark database ''. Retrieved 2014 - 12 - 01. Jump up ^ Nye, Valerie ; Barco, Kathy ( 2009 ). Breakfast New Mexico Style. Sunstone Press. p. 48. ISBN 978 - 0 - 86534 - 716 - 8. Retrieved 2010 - 12 - 07. Jump up ^ Cooper, Nathanael ( 18 October 2008 ). `` Tea for 2 or 2 for tea ''. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 13 November 2009. Jump up ^ Jeffery, Katherine. `` Calling all Earl Grey lovers... '' Twinings Website. Twinings. Archived from the original on 3 July 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2011. Jump up ^ Lusher, Adam ( 28 August 2011 ). `` Customers revolt as Twinings changes the flavour of its Earl Grey tea - Telegraph ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 August 2011. Jump up ^ Watkins, Alan ( 27 August 2011 ). `` We 're pining for our old Twinings : Furious Earl Grey drinkers dismiss new recipe as ' an affront to tea ' Mail Online ''. The Daily Mail. Retrieved 28 August 2011. Jump up ^ `` Bring back the original Twinings Earl Grey tea ''. facebook. Retrieved 28 August 2011. Jump up ^ Joachim, David ( 2001 ). Brilliant Food Tips and Cooking Tricks : 5,000 Ingenious Kitchen Hints, Secrets, Shortcuts, and Solutions. Rodale. p. 502. ISBN 978 - 1 - 57954 - 301 - 3. Earl Grey shallot sauce. Jump up ^ Miller, Norman ( 11 April 2009 ). `` Why tea is the new spice rack must - have ''. The Times. Jump up ^ Boyle, Tish ( 2002 ). The good cookie : over 250 delicious recipes from simple to sublime. John Wiley and Sons. p. 124. ISBN 978 - 0 - 471 - 38791 - 6. Chocolate dipped Earl Grey shortbread wedges. Jump up ^ Schneider, Edward ( 16 January 2002 ). `` Cooking With Tea ; `` As for pears, I poached them in Earl Grey, a tea with impeccable prime ministerial credentials. '' ``. The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 November 2009. Jump up ^ Wareing, Marcus ( 7 March 2008 ). `` Earl Grey tea cream and Eccles cakes ''. BBC. Archived from the original on 2008 - 03 - 07. Retrieved 13 November 2009. Jump up ^ Owen Ruffhead, ed. ( 1763 ). Statutes at Large 1. p. 388. Retrieved 22 March 2014. Jump up ^ Robert M. Fogelson ( 2005 ). Bourgeois Nightmares : Suburbia, 1870 - 1930. p. 135. Retrieved 22 March 2014. Jump up ^ Contemporary drinks menu listing modern adaptation of the ' Moseley Tea Service '. Retrieved 28 / 08 / 15 Jump up ^ Review of contemporary restaurant offering ' Moseley Tea Service '. Retrieved 28 / 08 / 15 Jump up ^ Girard, J. ; Unkovic, J. ; Delahayes, J. ; Lafille, C. ( 1979 ). `` Phototoxicity of Bergamot oil. Comparison between humans and guinea pigs ''. Dermatologica. 158 ( 4 ) : 229 -- 243. doi : 10.1159 / 000250763. PMID 428611. Jump up ^ Kejlová, K. ; Jírová, D. ; Bendová, H. ; Kandárová, H. ; Weidenhoffer, Z. ; Kolářová, H. ; Liebsch, M. ( 2007 ). `` Phototoxicity of bergamot oil assessed by in vitro techniques in combination with human patch tests ''. Toxicology in Vitro. 21 ( 7 ) : 1298 -- 1303. doi : 10.1016 / j. tiv. 2007.05. 016. PMID 17669618. Jump up ^ Bailey, D.G. ; Malcolm, J. ; Arnold, O. ; Spence, J.D. ( 1998 ). `` Grapefruit juice - drug interactions ''. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. 46 ( 2 ) : 101 -- 110. doi : 10.1046 / j. 1365 - 2125.1998. 00764. x. PMC 1873672. PMID 9723817. Jump up ^ Finsterer, J. ( 2002 ). `` Earl Grey tea intoxication ''. The Lancet. 359 ( 9316 ) : 1484. doi : 10.1016 / S0140 - 6736 ( 02 ) 08436 - 2. PMID 11988248. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Earl Grey tea. Wikiquote has quotations related to : Earl Grey tea Tending Toward Tea -- an Earl Grey tea review site California Tea House -- why it 's called Earl Grey ? Drink portal History portal Tea ( Camellia sinensis ) Common varieties Black tea Assam Bohea Ceylon Congou Darjeeling Dianhong Kangra Keemun Lapsang souchong ( Jin Jun Mei ) Nilgiri Tibeti Rize Yingdehong Oolong tea Bai Jiguan Ban Tian Yao Bu Zhi Chun Da Hong Pao Darjeeling oolong Dong ding Dongfang Meiren Gaoshan Huangjin Gui Huang Meigui Qilan Pouchong Rougui Ruanzhi Shui Jin Gui Shui Hsien Tieluohan Tieguanyin Green tea Anji bai cha Aracha Baimao Hou Bancha Biluochun Chun Mee Dafang Genmaicha Lu'an Melon Seed Gunpowder Gyokuro Hojicha Taiping houkui Huangshan Maofeng Hyson Kabusecha Kamairicha Konacha Kukicha Longjing Matcha Maojian Mecha Mengding Ganlu Sencha Shincha Tamaryokucha White tea Bai Mudan Baihao Yinzhen Darjeeling White Shoumei Yellow tea Junshan Yinzhen Huoshan Huangya Fermented tea Pu - erh Lahpet Blended or flavoured teas Earl Grey ( Lady Grey ) Breakfast tea ( English, Irish ) Jasmine tea Lapsang souchong Masala chai Moroccan mint tea Prince of Wales Russian Caravan By country Australian Chinese British Korean Nepali Taiwanese Turkish Vietnamese Culture Customs Afternoon / High tea / Evening meal Tea party Tasseography Tea ceremonies Japanese Chinese Korean Yum cha Associated places Chashitsu ( tea room ) Mizuya ( prep room ) Sukiya - zukuri ( style ) Roji ( garden ) Teahouse circuit or trek ( Himalayas ) By country American Argentine Azerbaijani Brazilian Chinese Dominican Hong Kong Indian Mexican Pakistani Russian Senegalese Taiwanese History China India Japan Production and distribution Tea processing ( Tea leaf grading ) Tea tasting Decaffeination Cultivation : Tea plant diseases and Tea plant predation Tea companies By country Bangladesh Kenya Sri Lanka United States Auctions London Chittagong Guwahati Preparation Flowering teas Infusion Decoction ISO Procedure Steeping Ground or pressed ( Tea bag, Tea brick ) Tea and health Health effects Phenolic content Caffeine Compounds : Theanine, Flavan - 3 - ol ( Catechin ), Epigallocatechin gallate ( EGCG ), Theaflavin Sale Pleasure garden Teahouse Consumption by country Tea - based drinks Bubble tea Builder 's tea Butter tea Doodh pati chai Ginger tea Hong Kong - style milk tea Iced tea Arnold Palmer Jagertee Kahwah Lei cha Milk tea Noon chai 7 layered Tea Shahi haleeb Suutei tsai Sweet tea Teh botol Teh tarik Thai tea Troq chai Yuenyeung See also Teaware ( Tea chest, Tea caddy ) Tea set ( Brewing : Strainer or Infuser, Utensils : Teacup or Teapot ) Coffee Herbal tea Bak kut teh Mate Guayusa Kuding Kombucha List of Chinese teas Lipton Institute of Tea Teas of related species Camellia japonica Camellia sasanqua Camellia taliensis Tea seed oil Category : Tea Drink Portal Coffee & Tea Task Force Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Earl_Grey_tea&oldid=833902283 '' Categories : Blended tea English drinks Tea in the United Kingdom Eponymous food Hidden categories : All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from December 2016 Articles with permanently dead external links Use British English from September 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Български Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Français 한국어 Հայերեն Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית Magyar Македонски Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Plattdüütsch Polski Português Русский Simple English Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Українська 粵語 中文 26 more Edit links This page was last edited on 2 April 2018, at 23 : 26. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the flavor in earl grey tea
Answer: oil of bergamot