February 28, 2008 10:17 pm
—
ON SECOND THOUGHT
By Carol Ferguson
This is just the kind of weather to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea.
Since I’m writing this several days in advance, I have no way of knowing whether it’s cold and dreary outside or sunny and spring-like, but no matter. Any day is an ideal time for tea, particularly if it’s Earl Grey.
For those of you who are not tea drinkers (and oh, what you’re missing!), I should explain that Earl Grey is not a brand name — it’s a particular blend of black tea scented with bergamot (a citrus fruit), perfect for an afternoon break.
Most of the leading tea distributors have their own version of Earl Grey, but my personal favorite is by Twinings.
The story behind the Earl Grey flavor blends fiction and fact, and before you ask, yes, there was a real Earl Grey. There still is, for that matter, although the current nobleman is the sixth in the line, while the tea dates back to the second Earl Gray who lived from 1764 to 1845.
As legend has it, the second Earl Grey supposedly received a gift of tea flavored with bergamot oil from a grateful Chinese mandarin whose son had been saved from drowning by one of Lord Grey’s men.
This all sounds charming, but the facts don’t quite bear it out. Earl Grey tea is made from black Indian and Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) teas, while green tea is the variety that is most popular in China. Chances are slim that the Chinese would have had a recipe for this blend. And, to put the final nail in the coffin, Lord Grey was never in China.
Who knows how he came upon it, but he enjoyed it so much that he asked his tea merchants, Twinings, located on the Strand in London, to match the flavor. Twinings succeeded and sold the first Earl Grey tea to the British.
And here’s where some rivalry enters the story. Jacksons of Piccadilly, another old-time tea company, claims that it originated Earl Grey tea and that in 1830 Lord Grey gave the recipe to a partner in the firm of Robert Jackson & Co. The company claims its tea has been in constant production since that time ... so much for you, Twinings.
However, it is my understanding that both firms are owned by the same parent company today, so any existing rivalry would appear to be mainly for effect.
According to an Internet site, Earl Grey tea has been popular with a number of fictional characters including Jean-Luc Picard of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”; Bruce Wayne from the comic book series “Batman”; and Frasier Crane (played by Kelsey Grammer ) in TV’s “Frasier.”
As for Charles Grey — the second Earl Grey — he did a lot more for his country than lend his name to tea. He served as prime minister of Great Britain from 1830 to 1834, and implemented parliamentary and social reforms including the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire. A good man.
Now when it comes to tea parties, though, confusion also exists about the terms “cream tea” and “high tea.”
High tea sounds so “veddy, veddy” fancy, but is actually the evening meal for working families in the north of England. During the Industrial Revolution, when working people came home exhausted from their labors, they sat down to a table of meats, bread, butter, pickles and cheese along with their tea. The name “high tea” came from the fact that the meal was eaten at a high dining table rather than a low tea table (or coffee table, as we call them in this country).
“Cream tea,” on the other hand, is just an indulgent version of afternoon tea with scones served with strawberry jam and clotted cream, along with dainty little sandwiches and cakes. Despite the use of the word “cream,” the rule is: Never actually put cream in your tea; it is too heavy. Use milk if you must.
I’ll close with a quote from another tea lover, the English writer Sydney Smith (1771-1845) who said, “Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea — how did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.”
Amen.
Ferguson is a feature writer for the Herald-Banner.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.