Talk about the chief of teas in the United Kingdom; Earl Grey Tea will fit apt. This black tea is one of the most popular type of tea not only in the UK but globally as well. It is surely a charming blend that will stand out, and its taste speaks for itself. Earl Grey tea is that one type of tea that will allow you to sit back, relax, and acknowledge your surrounding with a proactive mind. In fact, its aroma and taste will enable you to contemplate while you appreciate each sip of this tea. That is why, for almost 200 years, Earl Grey has been the top favorite for the masses when it comes to tea.
This makes us curious to know more about it. Here is the 7 interesting facts that you must know about it. In essence, it will be your definitive guide to the Earl Grey Tea. Let us start now.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Earl grey tea
Earl Grey is a black tea and has a very striking and bold flavor with a hint of citric taste from the oil of bergamot.
The citric flavor comes from the peel of the fruit. Bergamot is a citric and endemic fruit specifically native to the Calabria region in Italy.
Earl Grey Tea has a very subtle touch of the citric flavor. That is because only the essential oil from the peels of bergamot is used to scent the tea. With this citric flavor, it becomes a truly refreshing tea blend. That makes it a perfect evening teatime staple as well.
Earl Grey tea is produced in various parts of the world. However, the best ones come from China, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Darjeeling (India), and some regions of Africa as well.
History of Earl grey tea
The history of Earl Grey tea is primarily linked with the British. Now, that is one of the main reasons they love it so much. The tea is named after a British Prime Minister, Mr. Earl Charles Grey of England. He was the Prime Minister of England from the year 1830 to 1834.
There are various story behind this tea. There is story said that some Chinese tea blender gifted Mr. Earl Charles Grey this black tea as a token of gratitude for saving his life. There is also story said that the Prime Minister invested this Earl Grey tea blend. Well, whatever the story be, thank God it was invented. Because it is just so awesome.
Earl Grey Tea Health Benefits
Enhances internal functions
Time to limit the unfortunate doctor visits regarding cholesterol! Drinking Earl Grey Tea regularly will lower LDL cholesterol levels. Furthermore, it will also regulate your blood pressure if you suffer from hypertension. Wait, there is more! It will prevent heart diseases from surfacing down the line.
Assuming heart diseases are hereditary, we suggest drinking this tea soon. The bergamot extract in the Earl Grey Tea will control your blood sugar, reduce cholesterol spikes, and eliminate factors contributing to potential cardiovascular disease.
Lowers Anxiety
Anxiety is prevalent in the stressful bustling lifestyle of today. Earl Grey Tea will combat uncontrollable anxiety from the polyphenols present in the bergamot berry. It will control the stress at the cellular level and heal the nervous system organically, which is more than we can say for processed western medicine.
This black tea releases oil to calm down the tea-lover by blocking the overload sympathetic message being sent to the nervous system. Another compound present to offset anxiety in Earl Grey Tea is L-Theanine. It is found in many tea leaves.
Saves trips to the dentist
Decaying dental health severely affects confidence. A person with stained and yellow teeth will forcefully not smile while also experience sensitivity when eating or drinking. Having Earl Grey Tea regularly will increase dental immunity because of catechin, a compound present in its composition.
While catechin prevents oral infections, the fluoride present in Earl Grey Tea will stop dental decay. In addition, fluoride works with catechin to protect the teeth from cavities, plaque, and enamel build-up.
Builds an impressive immunity system
Boosting your immunity system is the apparent solution to surviving a pandemic. The bergamot oil present in the Earl Grey Tea is a super-dose of vitamin C. As a result, you will experience radical changes in your internal health. Just remember to leave the tea brewing at a low temperature.
Drinking this tea during the freezing winter will protect you from the flu. In addition, it will also reduce inflammation with its abundant antioxidants to keep you and your loved ones safe.
Improves digestion
Irritable Bowel Syndrome or any other digestive diagnosis can severely impact your routine. We present to you Earl Grey Tea, which will cleanse your intestines and bowels of the enemies present there-n.
The theaflavins and flavonoids present in this tea will reduce intestinal inflammation against IBS. In addition, it will also heal ulcer tissues and battle intestinal infections.
Disclaimer
The health advantages of Earl Grey Tea are purely for informative purposes and not an alternate for professional medical advice. Those with severe IBS or cardio issues are expected to consult their doctors for professional assistance on all matters related to health. The blog post does not aim to diagnose or cure mentioned by name.
Earl Grey Tea Side Effects
It is good to be an knowledgeable tea enthusiast. For that, you need to be aware of the potential side effects of Earl Grey Tea. Here are 3 most common side effects that this black tea can cause to the human:
- It can stain your teeth because it has a substance called tannins. For this side effect, you can just need to rinse your mouth after drinking it, then the problem can be easily solved.
- Drinking too much of Earl Grey can cause severe anxiety. As it contains way too much caffeine. That can also lead to stomachaches, headaches, nauseous, vomiting, and sleep problems.
- Black tea in general or Earl Grey tea in specific can bar the iron from absorbing into your body. This is because it contains gallic acids and tannins, which prevent iron from absorption. That, in turn, can lead to joint pain and bone weakness.
Therefore, although this black tea has a lot of potential health benefits, having too much of it will not be good for your body.
Earl Grey Tea and Pregnancy
Here is one of the most common questions that related to this tea. Can pregnant women drink Earl grey tea? And this is the answer:
Pregnant women need to avoid all black teas including Earl Grey tea at all costs. That is because the high caffeine content can harm the mother and the unborn child as well. Moreover, it can put the mother at the risk of miscarriage. It can also cause irritation while breastfeeding.
Is Earl Grey tea good for the skin?
Yes! Earl Grey Tea is good for the Skin. That is because it is loaded with antioxidants, which can help the skin stay fresh and hydrated. It will also protect against free radical damage.
Moreover, it contains Vitamin B12, B1, E, and H. These vitamins can keep the skin soft and smooth. In fact, these nutrients are great for your overall health as well. There are polyphenols in this tea as well. That makes Earl Grey tea a great one for ensuring good health.
This tea is just so healing! However, you need to consume it in limited and every calculated amount. Because it can be harmful if consumed without care.
Watch your caffeine intake, and make sure to enjoy and cherish each sip of Earl Grey Tea!
Earl Grey Tea Caffeine vs. Coffee
We know that caffeine content varies from one kind to another types of coffee. That is why, in this article we will compare base on a regular cup of brewed coffee.
In regular, Earl Grey tea, there are about 40 to 50 milligrams of caffeine per cup. On the other hand, there is 90 to 105 milligrams of caffeine per cup of coffee.
So here we can see that the amount of caffeine in coffee is almost double the amount in Earl Grey tea. In the other word, coffee is much stronger than Earl Grey tea.
What is the Best Time to drink Earl Grey Tea?
Earl Grey tea is loaded with antioxidants and caffeine. It will make you feel calm and relaxed. That is why; the best time to drink Earl Grey is late morning or in the early afternoon.
You should not drink this black tea early in the morning with empty stomach to avoid stomachache, nauseous due to its high caffeine content. In addition, due to the same reason, you should try not to drink it before bed to avoid difficult sleep.
Is it okay to drink Earl Grey tea everyday?
There should be no problem for drinking a cup of Earl Grey tea everyday unless you have health condition. Since the caffeine content in this black tea is only half of coffee, thus it is even a better choice for someone that need cannot take too much of caffeine.
How to brew Earl Grey tea at home like a tea master
What do you need?
- Earl grey tea: 2gram of loose leaf tea (around 1 tea spoon) or 1 tea bag
- Tea pot: it can be ceramic or stainless steel
- Tea infuser or tea strainer
- Kettle to boil water
- Optional: milk, lemon, honey
Steps how to brew like a tea master:
Step 1: Pouring cold tap water into the kettle and boil it. The ideal temperature for black teas in general is 200F to 210F degrees.
Step 2: Rinse the tea pot with the boiling water and discard it. This step help us to warm up the tea pot, so when we steep the tea, the temperature will not be affected.
Step 3: Put the loose tea leaves into tea infuser, then place it into the tea pot, then add the freshly boiling water into the pot. Cover the pot and let it steep for 3-5 minutes. Please note, do not steep the tea over 5 minutes, your tea will have more of bitter taste. If you really want to have a strong taste, I recommend you to add more loose tea into the pot rather than steeping longer time.
Step 4: Pouring the freshly steeped tea into the tea cup. If you do not use the tea infuser in the step 3, you can use the tea strainer here to filter the tea leaves.
Step 5: You can enjoy the freshly brewed cup of Earl grey tea as it is. However, you can also add milk, lemon, or even honey as to your reference.