If you love a good cup of tea, but don’t know much about tea varieties, then this article is for you! Earl Grey tea is one of the most well-known teas in the world. So what better place to start than by explaining what makes it so special? How does earl grey tea taste?
Earl Grey has a distinctive flavor that can be hard to pinpoint. Often called “the breakfast tea,” Earl Grey blends flavors like citrus and bergamot with a base of black tea. This combination creates an unusual and complex aroma that’s surprisingly refreshing when served hot or iced.
1. Origin
The story behind where this tea is from is as cool as the taste! A British nobleman and politician named Charles, the second Earl Grey, received his title in 1806.
The story goes that the British nobility asked for help from the Chinese government to fight off attacks from pirates. How did they ask for this help? Tea. Apparently the British were a bit thirsty, and this tea came in handy.
Earl Grey wasn’t a huge fan of regular tea, so he sent his servants to China to buy some special tea for him. The Chinese were accustomed to making black teas with the leaves of Camellia sinensis and flavored them with other flowers like jasmine and roses, but they had never seen bergamot before. Earl Grey’s servants brought home some bergamot oil and combined it with their tea. They presented it to Gray on his birthday.
2. Flavor and Appearance
With the blending of bergamot, citrus and black tea, Earl Grey is a unique type of tea that a lot of people enjoy. The unique taste is complemented by its appearance. Instead of the usual brown that most tea leaves take on, Earl Grey’s leaves are dark green.
In fact, Earl Grey tea is one of the few teas that has a name for its appearance.
The color is a rich gold, with darker purple-browns at times. It also has gold speckles in the leaves, which I think just looks quite nice. If you’re into describing your favorite shade of tea with words like “golden” or “cloudy,” you’ll probably enjoy drinking Earl Grey tea!
3. Benefits
Earl Grey tea is not only an enjoyable beverage to drink; it’s also perfect for people who need caffeine. Many teas are naturally high in caffeine. Black tea is a great example of this.
But when most people think of caffeine, they usually think of coffee. This can be an issue because many people don’t like the taste or smell of coffee!
Luckily, Earl Grey tea contains less caffeine than black tea, but more than green and white teas. And its blend of flavors makes it a great substitute for those who want to drink more tea but can’t handle the taste and scent of regular black tea.
4. Brewing Tips
There are a few things you can do to make sure you brew your cup of Earl Grey correctly.
Don’t let the tea leaves sit in the water too long. The longer the leaves are in the water, the more bitter the taste will be. You also won’t get to enjoy as many of its benefits if it’s steeped for too long.
When you’re steeping Earl Grey, use a longer brewing time. Usually, this is around three minutes. Earl Grey may taste bitter if you use a shorter time, but if you leave it too steep for too long, it can become very weak and watery.
When judging how strong your tea is, remember that one teaspoon of loose tea will make about four cups of tea.
You also have to give the leaves and the tea more time to get hot. Steep them for around five minutes instead of just three.
Use clean and fresh water when making your tea. That way, your tea will taste good and won’t have any kind of ominous-smelling odor to it!
For cold brewing, brew your tea for at least 4 hours or overnight when you go to bed . This will allow the flavors in your tea to build up and give your tea drinker a refreshing taste!
Earl Grey tea is our most popular variety of specialty black tea, so it’s a great place to start exploring the wide world of black teas. If you haven’t come across it before, or plan to try it for the first time, then this article is for you! We hope that you enjoy Earl Grey as much as we do!
5. Conclusion
Earl Grey is a delicious tea, but with so many benefits, it’s sure to get you hooked! Some people even drink it for its health benefits. You can choose to add some sugar or honey to your Earl Grey tea for an extra boost of flavor, as well as some additional nutrients. (However, honey and sugar are not recommended if you’re on a low-carb diet. Choose herbal or fruit tea to help increase your healthy fats intake!)
Do you like Earl Grey tea? Have you tried making it before? What do you think? Let us know how you like it in the comment box below. Maybe we’ll even review another kind of tea together!
