Merkaba2

Origin: Sri lanka

This tea is made from top grade orange pekoe Ceylon black tea scented with the elegant fragrance of bergamot. When brewed this tea
produces a bright coppery color liquid with a piquant and refreshing taste.
The stories of Earl Grey are numerous. One such tale tells how the blend is named after the 2nd Earl Grey, who reputedly received a gift,
probably a diplomatic perquisite, of tea flavored with bergamot oil. The legend usually involves a grateful Chinese mandarin whose son
was rescued from drowning by one of Lord Grey's men, although this blend of tea was first made from fermented black Indian and
"Ceylonese" (Sri Lankan) teas. Green tea is much more popular in China than black. Thus, it seems somewhat unlikely that they would
have had a recipe for what we now call Earl Grey to bestow on visitors, though over the years many other varieties of tea have been
used. Also, Lord Grey never set foot in China.
The tea proved so popular in the Prime Minister's drawing room that his tea merchants, Twinings in the Strand, were given a sample and
asked to come up with a close match. Twinings sold the first "Earl Grey's tea" in the British market. Twinings Earl Grey blend includes
China tea, Indian Darjeeling, Ceylon, and a hint of Lapsang souchong, a strong, "smoky" black tea. It is traditionally served black, without
milk.
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. This rivalry between the two tea brands continues despite both being owned by
the same parent company today.
The title Earl Grey was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1806 for the 1st Baron Grey, a General in the British Army. Earl
Grey tea is named for the 2nd Earl, who also served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Earl Grey tea was the favorite tea of Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Fictional characters who
prefer Earl Grey tea include Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Artemis Fowl of the Eoin Colfer books, Sir Leigh Teabing
from the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, and the goddess Belldandy in the anime series Oh My Goddess.
The longer you allow this tea to brew the stronger it becomes. This tea is best enjoyed with milk since the casein in milk renders the
tannins in tea insoluble and reduces the characteristic bitterness of strong teas.
Regarding the addition of milk, there is the age old argument of when to add the milk to the cup -before you add the tea or after.
Milk-firsters argue that adding milk last scalds the milk noticeably and therefore the milk should be warmed slowly with the addition of
tea. Milk-lasters argue that adding milk after the tea has been poured is the only way of judging the proper amount of milk to add by
watching the color of the tea change.