Part 1:

‘Earl Grey Proper’

*The Right Honourable, The Earl Grey, painted by in 1828 by Sir Thomas Lawrence*

You’ve probably had Earl Grey tea many times. It is the West’s most popular black tea and its most popular scented tea. It may be delicious, but did you ever wonder about how this delightful, unique recipe ended up in your teacup? Maybe you know it is named after someone named Earl Grey? If only it were that simple. While the tea is famously named after Sir Charles Grey, the origin of the tea’s recipe that bears his name is quite a mystery, to say the least.

Earl Grey describes any tea scented with the oil of bergamot, a pear-shaped bitter citrus fruit grown around the Mediterranean. The tea’s namesake, Charles Grey was the second Grey to become an Earl or Count. He was prime minister of the United Kingdom in the 1830s under William IV. There are many theories as to how the Earl came into possession of the tea recipe. From here, I will refer to the version of Earl Grey directly associated with him and his name as ‘Earl Grey proper,’ as opposed to teas that might be like Earl Grey or not directly tied to his name. There are other variations; more on that later.

*Portrait of a mandarin, 19th century China, Unknown Artist*

One theory, deemed unlikely, revolves around when the Earl was serving as a diplomat to China. His envoy saved the life of a Chinese man’s son on the way to China. Grateful, the mandarin gifted him with the unique and treasured recipe. The Earl liked the tea so much that he asked his tea dealer to recreate the recipe for him in his name. This story is backed up by an interview with a descendant of the Earl as follows:

“During his period as prime minister, Earl Grey sent an envoy to China, who supposedly saved the life of a Mandarin’s son. In gratitude, the Mandarin shipped a special blend of tea, plus the recipe to make it. Earl Grey must have taken the tea and purported recipe to his tea merchant and asked him to copy it.”
Food of England – Originally from the Daily Telegraph

Another theory is that the recipe was gifted to Sir Charles after he ended the trade monopoly between Britain and China, originally held by the East India Company, by his administration’s 1832 Reform Act. The Earl was well known for his reformations, overseeing the end of legal slavery in the British Empire, except for the East India Company.

The East India Company disputes this story, claiming they were the first to introduce the orange-flavored black tea to the West. The company scoured its archives and found a reference dating to 1793 to back up its claim, as follows:

“He witnessed the Chinese scenting their teas with bitter orange blossoms called neroli.”
East India Company

This annotation was made by Sir George Staunton, the company’s botanist, who shared it with his superior, Sir Joseph Banks. It is said that Sir Joseph Banks went on to create the ‘Staunton Earl Grey’ recipe, named after the botanist, after experimenting with different citrus flavors. Sir Joseph Banks was purportedly a close friend of Sir Charles’, and he introduced the new tea to him, who loved it. The explanation of why he named it ‘Staunton Earl Grey’ before introducing it to his friend, and not just ‘Staunton’ tea, is missing. Perhaps this detail is an oversight on the company’s part. It remains the earliest recorded mention of anything like Earl Grey tea. Interestingly, the part about the original recipe coming from China remains consistent with the earlier theories.

Twinings of London claims the Earl sold his recipe to Richard Twining in 1831. The sixth Earl Grey, Richard Grey, supports this claim, adding his official signature to the Twinings box in 2011. They claim that Richard Twining made the tea at the Earl’s request. Jacksons of Piccadilly also made this claim, stating the Earl requested they blend the tea in 1836. They reference their advertisement, which claimed this very fact in 1926. Twinings and Jacksons of Piccadilly both claimed ownership of the original recipe for generations. They accused each other’s ancestors of stealing the Earl’s original recipe. The evidence seems to point to the Jacksons having been entrusted with the recipe. The controversy was rendered null in 1990 when Jacksons straight out purchased Twinings. There is much more to this part of the story, but as it lies outside the tea’s origin, it must be deferred to a possible future article.

*The harbour of Corfu in 1890 in Corfu, Greece*

We’ve covered a few theories, but to fully understand this tea we must look at the recipe’s distinguishing ingredient: oil of bergamot. Bergamot oranges are very popular for their flavorful oil, which is pressed out of the rind and used primarily in perfumes. The raw fruit is quite bitter and not eaten fresh but is very suitable for marmalades and liqueurs. Today, bergamot is grown in Turkey, Greece, Southern Italy, and, primarily, Sicily. Being principally grown in the Mediterranean for centuries, bergamot is quite reasonably thought to be unknown in the Far East. Some believe the name is taken from the town of Bergamo in Northern Italy, but more likely, the name comes from the Turkish name for the fruit, bey armut, literally, ‘Prince’s Pear.’ So, how did this fruit become blended with tea?

*The Royal Navy engaged at The Battle of Cape St Vincent, 16 January 1780, from Historic UK*

According to one author’s research, bergamot, which they would obtain from the Greek island of Corfu, became traditionally used in the Jewish Succoth festival. Corfu also served as a British royal base from the Napoleonic wars until 1848. It just so happened that Lord Grey was commander of the royal fleet. Some noted scholars believe this is the most likely way bergamot ended up in the Earl’s hands and, thus, in his tea. It may well be true.

There are a few other less common theories. One is that the tea isn’t named after the Earl at all but after a William Grey, who had a popular tea recipe around the same time, not far from one of the Earl’s homes. Dubbed ‘William Grey’s tea mixture,’ the ‘Earl’ wasn’t added until later to make for better branding. Another story says that one of the Earl’s homes had a limescale problem. The Mandarin man in this story visited this home and made the tea to cover up the limescale smell. An even less popular theory is that bergamot and tea leaves mixed by accident during a sea voyage. Perhaps we should make it easy, end it here, and declare the case closed.

Put the kettle back on for a second cup, my friend, because we’re just getting started…

Continued in Part 2…

by Dr. Niko Olympiadis

Sources listed in part 2

Part 2