- Season
- Available all year round; it is a shelf-stable dry product with no season.
- Price
- Low
- Nutrition per 100 g
- 0 kcal
- 0 g protein
- 0 g fat
- 0 g carbs
Earl Grey
Beverages
Earl Grey
Earl Grey is black tea flavoured with bergamot, sold in Czech shops in tea bags (porcovaný čaj) and as loose-leaf tea (sypaný čaj), and usually labelled "aromatizovaný černý čaj" (flavoured black tea). It is a drink ingredient, not a fruit or a spice.
In practice
How to store
- On the counter
Store it in a cool, dark, dry cupboard, away from coffee, spices and other strong smells, because tea absorbs them easily. Once the pack is open, move the tea to an airtight tin or jar. For the best aroma, use it within 6–12 months of opening and before the best-before date (minimální trvanlivost).
- In the fridge
Not recommended. Condensation when you take the tea in and out of the fridge adds moisture, and the leaves pick up fridge smells. Brewed and cooled tea for iced tea will keep for up to 24 hours in a covered container.
- In the freezer
Not recommended for leaves or bags. You can freeze brewed tea in ice-cube trays for iced tea or cocktails and use the cubes within about 1 month.
How to choose
Read the ingredient list. Wording such as "bergamotový olej" (bergamot oil) or "přírodní aroma bergamotu" (natural bergamot flavouring) means the citrus note comes from the fruit itself. Plain "aroma" (flavouring) can be a less specific flavouring. Some packs also state the bergamot oil content, often around 1 %. Tea bags are convenient and cheap. Bags sealed one by one in foil keep their aroma longer than unwrapped bags in a cardboard box. Loose-leaf tea from a tea shop or a premium brand usually has larger leaves and a cleaner flavour. Look for visible whole or broken leaves rather than fine dust. Leaves should smell clearly of citrus when you open the pack, and a flat, musty or dusty smell suggests old stock. Variants sold as "Earl Grey Supreme", "Lady Grey", with blue cornflower petals, decaffeinated or organic (BIO, with the EU organic leaf logo) are all widely available.
What to swap in
Best swap
Plain black tea (Ceylon or a breakfast blend) with a strip of fresh orange or lemon zest added while it steeps
In a pinch
Any plain black tea with a slice of lemon, which gives a citrus note but not the floral bergamot character
Preparation
Use freshly boiled water that has cooled slightly to about 90–95 °C. Allow 1 bag or about 2 g of loose leaf (one heaped teaspoon) for 200–250 ml of water. Steep for 3–4 minutes, then remove the bag or leaves. Steeping for longer brings out bitterness and tannins rather than more citrus. In Czechia it is often drunk with a slice of lemon and sugar or honey. Adding lemon makes black tea visibly lighter in colour. It can also be drunk with a splash of milk in the British way, but avoid putting lemon and milk in the same cup because the milk will curdle. For iced tea, brew it at double strength and pour it over ice. For baking, steep the tea in warm milk or cream, or grind the dry leaves finely and add them to the dough.
Don't toss it
Used loose leaves can be steeped a second time for a lighter cup, or cooled and dug into garden soil or compost. Many tea bags contain plastic, so check the packaging before composting them. Dry leaves that have lost their aroma can be ground and used in shortbread, sponge cake or a sugar rub, where the bergamot still comes through.
In the kitchen
Cooking
Steeping (hot infusion) is the main method, either as a drink or to flavour milk, cream or syrup for desserts such as panna cotta, ice cream, crème brûlée or custard. Cold brewing (8–12 hours in the fridge) gives a smoother, less bitter tea for summer. Finely ground dry leaves can go into biscuit doughs, sponge cakes and chocolate ganache. Strong brewed Earl Grey can be used to soak dried fruit such as prunes or raisins before baking, or as a base for a tea punch or a gin cocktail.
Goes well with
- Lemon
- Honey
- Milk
- Orange
- Lavender
- Vanilla
- Dark Chocolate
- Almonds
- Shortbread
- Cream
- Plums
- Gin
What it is
Earl Grey is black tea flavoured with bergamot, sold in Czech shops in tea bags (porcovaný čaj) and as loose-leaf tea (sypaný čaj), and usually labelled "aromatizovaný černý čaj" (flavoured black tea). It is a drink ingredient, not a fruit or a spice. Bergamot is a sour citrus fruit grown mainly in Calabria in southern Italy, and the flavour comes from oil pressed from its peel or from a bergamot flavouring sprayed onto the dried tea leaves. Czech supermarkets and online grocers such as Rohlík, Košík, Kaufland and Albert carry it from both local and international brands, including Minutka, Teekanne, Pickwick, Meßmer, Ahmad Tea, Ronnefeldt and Marks & Spencer. Tea shops (čajovny) also sell loose-leaf versions by weight.
How it tastes
The base is a brisk, malty black tea with some tannic grip. On top of that, the bergamot gives a bright, perfumed citrus note that sits somewhere between lemon peel, bitter orange and flowers. Blends built on lighter teas, such as Darjeeling, taste more delicate. Blends built on stronger Assam or Ceylon teas taste fuller and stand up better to milk. The citrus note is strongest in the dry leaf and fades once the brewed tea has been standing for a while.
Common questions
What gives Earl Grey its flavour?
Does Earl Grey contain caffeine?
How long should I steep Earl Grey?
Can I drink Earl Grey with milk and lemon?
What is the difference between Earl Grey and Lady Grey?
How should I store Earl Grey?
Deep dive
3 min read
Varieties
Classic Earl Grey
is a black tea blend, often based on Ceylon, Indian or Chinese tea, flavoured with bergamot. This is the standard version found in Czech supermarkets in tea bags and loose leaf.
Earl Grey Supreme
and premium blends use a higher-grade base, sometimes with Darjeeling, oolong or white tea added, and often have a more pronounced natural bergamot aroma.
Earl Grey with cornflowers
(also sold as "French" or "Blue" Earl Grey) has blue cornflower petals mixed into the leaves. The petals are mainly decorative and add little flavour.
Lady Grey
is a related, gentler blend sold under the Twinings brand. It adds orange and lemon peel to the bergamot.
Decaffeinated Earl Grey
(bez kofeinu) is made with black tea that has had most of its caffeine removed.
Green or rooibos "Earl Grey"
blends are different products that use the same bergamot flavouring on a green tea or rooibos base. Rooibos versions contain no caffeine.
Bergamot itself
is a separate product, a citrus fruit, and should not be confused with the tea. In English, "bergamot" (wild bergamot or bee balm) can also refer to the garden herb Monarda, called zavinutka or monarda in Czech, which is a different plant again.
History
The blend is named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, British prime minister from 1830 to 1834. The popular stories about how he came by the recipe, such as a gift from a Chinese official, are not supported by evidence. Black tea scented with bergamot was known in Britain in the first half of the 19th century, and tea merchants were selling blends under the name "Earl Grey" by the late 19th century.
In Czechia, Earl Grey is one of the most common flavoured black teas on supermarket shelves. It is offered by local brands alongside German, British and other imported ones.
Science
Black tea is made from leaves of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) that are withered, rolled and fully oxidised. Oxidation turns the leaf catechins into theaflavins and thearubigins, which give black tea its dark colour, body and astringency.
Bergamot oil is cold-pressed from the peel of the bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia). Its aroma comes mainly from the compounds limonene, linalyl acetate and linalool. Because the oil is volatile, the aroma fades over time and after the pack is opened, which is why airtight storage matters.
Lemon makes the tea lighter because acidity changes the colour of the theaflavins. Milk softens the astringency because milk proteins bind to tannins.
Sourcing and ethics
The base tea usually comes from large plantations in Sri Lanka, India, Kenya or China. On these estates, workers' pay and living conditions are an ongoing concern. Certifications such as Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance, and EU organic (BIO) labelling, are common on Czech shelves and offer some assurance about labour or farming practices.
Natural bergamot oil comes mostly from Calabria in Italy, where "Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria" essential oil holds EU Protected Designation of Origin status. Cheaper teas may use flavourings instead.
For packaging, loose-leaf tea in refillable tins creates the least waste. Many tea bags contain polypropylene to seal them, so look for bags described as plastic-free if you plan to compost them.