The famous Earl Grey tea, which is nothing more or less than black tea with bergamot, giving it that particular and hard-to-describe citrus flavor for those unfamiliar with it, has a story/legend behind its origin with different options depending on which one you prefer when telling the story.
What is known is that it is named Earl Grey after the Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1830 to 1834. "Earl" in English means count, he was Earl Grey, and from here begins "choose your own adventure" to define its origin, we have:
- A ship accident and a tea that accidentally mixed with bergamot.
- A story where a Chinese man gives it to the Earl for saving his son's life.
And the one I stick with, simply because it was the first one I heard.
It turns out that our Earl Grey entertained his guests at home with this mixture he prepared himself from black tea and bergamot to add a citrus note, as there was nothing similar, and this made him stand out by offering something exclusive. Keep in mind that there were no Ferrero Rocher yet to offer, and my favorite Leonidas chocolates were still about 90 years away from being invented; he had to offer something, and in the UK, tea is sacred.
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