Earl Grey tea

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Earl Grey tea is a 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 oolong or green teas, including white tea, and tisanes, such as rooibos, that contain oil of bergamot, or a bergamot flavour. Because of Earl Grey's aroma and Twinings' distinctive packaging in England with Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, the tea is sometimes called "Old Stinky"^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 History 2 Fiction 3 Similar teas and beverages 4 Toxicology 5 References

[edit] History

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The Earl Grey blend is named after the 2nd Earl Grey, British Prime Minister in the 1830s and author of the Reform Bill of 1832, who reputedly received a gift, probably a diplomatic perquisite, of tea flavoured with bergamot oil^[1], taken from bergamot, a citrus fruit typical of Southeast Asia and grown commercially in Italy.

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 is likely to be a marketing ploy, and has no documented basis in fact, as Lord Grey never set foot in China.^[2]

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.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Fiction

Some fictional characters whose favourite tea is believed to be Earl Grey include: James Bond, agent 007; Bruce Wayne, the alter-ego of Batman; Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation; Frasier, of the eponymous TV show; Bertie Wooster; Artemis Fowl of the series of fantasy books of the same name; and Piglet of Winnie-the-Pooh.

[edit] Similar teas and beverages

• Twinings also has a proprietary branded tea variety called "Lady Grey" made with lemon and Seville orange in addition to bergamot. Also of note is that Twinings received an official endorsement from the sixth Earl Grey, Richard Grey, whose signature appears on packages of Twinings Earl Grey.
• Snapple has released a tea beverage based on Earl Grey called Snapple Classic Tea Earl Gray.
• Many boutique tea stores sell a similar blend with added rose petals known as French Earl Grey.
• A beverage called "London Fog" is a combination of Earl Grey, steamed milk and vanilla syrup.
• Australian tea company T2 produces several blends:
  • Earl Grey (traditional Earl Grey tea),
  • Girlie Grey (traditional Earl Grey with botanicals, orange and lemon), and
  • French Earl Grey (traditional Earl Grey with flowers and flavours).
• The following breakfast blends made by T2 are similar to Earl Grey:
  • Sydney Breakfast (black tea with bergamot), and
  • Perth Breakfast (black tea with bergamot and vanilla).

[edit] Toxicology

In one study, oil of bergamot was linked to certain phototoxic compounds.^[3] Bergamot is also a source of bergamottin which, along with the chemically related compound 6’,7’-dihydroxybergamottin, is believed to be responsible for the grapefruit juice effect in which the consumption of the juice affects the metabolism of a variety of pharmaceutical drugs.^[4]

[edit] References

1. ^ Kramer, Ione. All the Tea in China. China Books, 1990. ISBN 0835121941. Pages 180-181.
2. ^ Pettigrew, Jane (2004). The Tea Companion: A Connoisseur's Guide (Connoisseur's Guides). Philadelphia, Pa: Running Press Book Publishers. ISBN 0-7624-2150-9. 
3. ^ Girard J, Unkovic J, Delahayes J, Lafille C (1979). "[Phototoxicity of Bergamot oil. Comparison between humans and guinea pigs]" (in French). Dermatologica 158 (4): 229–43. PMID 428611. 
4. ^ David G. Bailey, J. Malcolm, O. Arnold, J. David Spence (1998). "Grapefruit juice-drug interactions". Br J Clin Pharmacol 46: 101–110. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2125.1998.00764.x.