The Republic of Tea's "Earl Greyer" with an adorable backdrop: Tea Pot Rock. Today I made a morning mug of this blend, and my dad and I had a conversation about how silly the name is. According to Wikipedia, that fount of all knowledge:
"Tea flavoured with bergamot to imitate the more expensive types of Chinese tea has been known in England at least since the 1820s. [...] The Earl Grey blend, or 'Earl Grey's Mixture', is assumed to [have been] 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. Bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia) is a small citrus tree which blossoms during the winter[.]" (I learned a new word from that: "perquisite" is the original, lengthier version of "perk".)
The point I'm getting to is that there is no aspect of the tea that is actually grey. "Grey" was the dude's name. So calling this blend "greyer" is meaningless. That said, it's very yummy, and my dad restocks whenever we run out!
I also want to share a couple of tea-related collages that I made using gorgeous vintage images from The Commons:
// silverware shelves // illustrated grandma //
I love tea. Tea and water are pretty much all I drink, actually! The wizard's favourite tea is Earl Grey, especially the one we get that has natural vanilla and rose in itas well. :-)
ReplyDeleteHave you tried Twinings' Lady Grey?
Oh my gosh, your Earl Grey sounds sooo yummy! Where is it from? My favorite Earl Grey that I've ever tried was from Peet's, which you probably don't have in NZ 'cause I think it's just a West Coast (of the US) thing. That blend had lots of lavender in it. Amazing with whipped cream on top.
DeleteI think I've tried Lady Grey, but it's probably been a while. I'll ask my dad to order some! (He's the family tea-buyer.) Then we can compare tea-nerd notes.
Mmm, tea is the absolute best. Like that first commenter, I only drink tea and water! I've never actually tried earl grey, though. Is that odd? I usually stick to green in the mornings and then sometimes a decaffinated English breakfast or orange tea in the afternoon... huh! :) I guess I've gotta try this one.
ReplyDeleteAnd I adore your collages, Sonja! That second one is especially gorgeous. :)
I don't know if not having tried Earl Grey is odd, but if you like English breakfast, you would probably like Earl Grey too! I drink green tea as well, and I like to drop a little bit of orange loose leaf in with a black tea to flavor it. And re: collages, thank you!
DeleteI love Earl Grey tea so much. Maybe that version is "Greyer" because it's extra bergamot-y? I actually really like that brand's teas so I might have to try that one out sometime.
ReplyDeleteThat was my original theory too, but it tastes like a regular Earl Grey, and the listing on the website doesn't say anything about extra bergamot. But it's still really good! Definitely worth a try!
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