Earl Grey (Earl Gray) Tea - Sources Of The Blend
Like every ageless classic, the origins of Earl Grey tea (at times incorrectly spelled as Earl Gray tea) are shrouded in mystery. The blend was termed for the Second Earl Grey, who was a British Prime Minister in the 1830's.
Depending on several stories, the blend was given to him by a Chinese Mandarin whose son was saved from drowning by one of Lord Grey's men. Other accounts hold the tea arriving like a present given to one of Lord Grey's envoys, while he was touring in China, with orders to deliver it to his Lord upon his return to England.
Yet another account supports that the original formula was provided to George Charlton by Earl Grey himself. Mr. Charlton was a partner in Jackson & Co., and Jackson of Piccadilly states that the formula has been in constant production ever since, and has never left their hands.
To include yet another twist to the myth of how the tea came into existence, the Grey family themselves reports that the blend was created by a Chinese Mandarin for them, especially to suit the water at Howick Hall in Northumberland (which is the Grey Family Seat). Bergamot was selected particularly to help offset the high lime content in the regional water supply in that area, and the blend first gained popularity because Lady Grey used it for amusing in London, and was ultimately asked if it could be sold to a larger market.
In order to facilitate this, a company known as Twinings was given the formula, and promoted it from that point on as 'Earl Grey tea.' (remember that although a lot of websites, and even a fair number of printed materials list it as 'Earl Gray Tea' there isn't any brand having that specific spelling. This is mostly a function of minor variations between the Queen's English and American English).
Whichever of these stories is eventually correct (and it's quite possible that all of them contain particular essential truths), one thing that may be fairly said is that Earl Grey tea, by whichever spelling, is possibly the best known of the English teas, at least on the international level. There have been countless references to it in books, films, and television series over time, and its special flavor makes it tough to overlook!
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