"Earl Grey Tea"

"Earl Grey tea is a black tea blend, which gets its flavor from bergamot oil. This popular tea blend is named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, who reputedly received a gift, probably a diplomatic perquisite, of tea that was flavored with bergamot oil. Bergamot is a fragrant citrus plant, used for the oil in its rind rather than for the flesh of the fruit. The legend usually involves a grateful Chinese mandarin, but this blend of tea was first made from fermented black Indian and "Ceylon" (Sri Lankan) teas, though over the years many other varieties have been used.The tea proved so popular in the Prime Minister's drawing room that his tea merchants, Twining's in the Strand, were given a sample and asked to come up with a close match. Twining's sold the first "Earl Grey's tea" in the British market. Their Earl Grey is blended variously from China tea, Indian Darjeeling, Ceylon, and even a hint of Lapsang souchong.Earl Grey tea was the favorite tea of Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. Fictional characters who preferred the tea include Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek: The Next Generation and James Bond, Agent 007 of MI6."

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