One of the most popular types of tea served in tea houses around the world is Earl Grey. This particular tea is distinguished by its aromatic bergamot flavor, which is also often incorporated into various blends of tea. The history of Earl Grey and its origin is a somewhat disputed one, but what is known is that the tea has been around for several centuries.

The first known references to a blend of tea flavored with bergamot come from the early 19th century. In the early 1800s, Canton teas (Chinese green teas) were imported in Europe with bergamot added to reduce the musty taste of the tea. This tea blend was popular among English tea drinkers and spread throughout the country. By the mid-1800s, it had become widely known as "Earl Grey." It is believed to be named after Charles Grey, the second Earl Grey and British Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834.

Charles Grey was given a gift of tea flavored with bergamot by a Mandarin Official, or perhaps by a Chinese Lord, for saving the official's son during the Opium Wars in China. Supposedly, he was so impressed with the aroma and flavor of this particular tea that he requested his own blend to be made. As a reward, the Mandarin Official or Chinese Lord sent him a supply of tea flavored with bergamot, which was then distributed to his friends and family. This eventually spread, and to this day, Earl Grey remains one of the most popular teas in Britain.

The popularity of Earl Grey spread to the United States during the early 19th century as well. In the 1870s, American importers began offering Earl Grey tea, which was quickly embraced by the American tea drinkers. To this day, it remains one of the most popular types of tea in the country.

Since its beginnings several centuries ago, Earl Grey has become widely popular around the world because of its unique flavor and aroma. While the exact origin of this tea may be disputed, its popularity is something that we can all agree on.

Sources:

1. T-Ching. "What's the History of Earl Grey Tea?". July 28, 2020.

2. Bidwell, Dawn. "The History of Earl Grey Tea". November 26, 2019.

3. Vavro, Eva. "The Interesting History Behind the Popular Earl Grey Tea". November 18, 2019.

4. Chatterjee, Nitish. "Know the History of Earl Grey Tea". October 25, 2019.

5. BBC. "Earl Grey Tea". November 21, 2014.

Ever wonder how to make a tea espresso drink using an espresso machine? If you love espresso coffee drinks chances are you will also enjoy a cup of tea espresso drink.

The process of making an espresso from tea is pretty straightforward and almost identical to making coffee espresso. However, there are a few keys to a delicious cup of tea espresso drink. Let's go through them in this article.

Pictured above is a tea cappuccino made using our Malawi Chisunga.

Type of tea to make espresso

Black tea is most suitable for espresso making. Black tea is a fully oxidized tea which means it has a fuller and more robust taste. Black tea also takes high temperature and pressure well. This is very important because we want to extract the flavor and at the same time preserve the taste of the tea. Black tea is the ideal candidate due to its oxidation level. Other types such as green and white teas are more delicate and just slightly oxidized. They just can’t tolerate high temperatures and pressure. 

Malawi Chisunga CTC Tea Grounds after brewing. 

We highly recommend using CTC black tea

CTC stands for “crush, tear, curl”. CTC is a tea making process. In this process, tea leaves are processed and broken down to astandard size through the use of machinery.  CTC teas are perfect for espresso making because they are broken down into very small pallets. Flavor can be extracted more easily from CTC tea leaves because of their shape and size.

CTC tea in the porta-filter.

Don’t overfill the porta-filter

Fill and tamp the porta-filter as how you normally would with your coffee. If the brew is too strong and you are enjoying it with no milk, you can dilute it with hot water. When making cappuccino and latte, we recommend experimenting with different amounts of milk/foam to get the right ratio. 

Tea espresso dripping out into the cups.

Now let’s turn on the machine and make some tea espresso! 

Enjoy! 

Have you ever wanted a very robust, bold and full-flavored cup of tea? 

If you have a stovetop Moka pot at home, try brewing tea in a Moka pot. You may be surprised by how robust and flavorful the tea is. Tea brewed in Moka pot also makes very delicious Black Tea Latte. 

What kind of tea is best for Moka pot? 

From our experience, black tea is more suitable for Moka pot. Black tea is fully oxidized which means it takes high temperature and pressure very well. Other types of tea, such as green and white teas, don't tolerate high water temperature well and can easily over brew.

How to use a Moka pot to make tea.

• Fill the base of the Moka pot with hot water.

• Put tea leaves in the filter container. Level and smooth the tea leaves using a spoon and don't over fill the filter.

• Screw on the top part (spout) and place Moka pot on the stove.

• Turn stove on to medium flame. Make sure not to burn the handle of the pot.

• Take the pot off the stove as soon as tea starts dribbling out.

• Pour the tea into a cup. Enjoy the tea as it is. Or add steam milk to make a Tea Latte.

• Enjoy! 

When tea starts dribbling out, take the pot off the stove. 

The perfect late morning and afternoon tea.  

Our Earl Grey has an unbelievable aroma that portends an unbelievable taste. A correct balance of flavoring results in a piquant and refreshing true Earl Grey taste that goes well with pastries and cakes. The true taste from the bergamot oil creates an Earl Grey that calls you back for more. No wonder it is the most consumed afternoon tea.

Earl Grey

This Irish Breakfast (Blend of Assam and Kenya tea) is strong, malty, and with right amount of astringency. Taste good with and  without milk. If you like a strong cuppa, we highly recommend this tea.

Irish Breakfast

Our English Breakfast is a blend of Ceylon, Kenya and India black tea. It brews a full bodied breakfast tea with excellent body and full flavor. Enjoy it as it is or with a few drops of milk. Can't go wrong either way.