Organic Earl Grey black tea

Earl Grey is black tea scented with bergamot, a small bitter citrus grown mainly in Calabria and almost never eaten. Its peel is aromatic out of all proportion to its size, which is why it ended up in tea and in perfume rather than on a plate. The result is one of the most recognisable flavoured teas in the world, and one that people either drink every day or never touch.

Brewing and the milk question

90 °C, three to four minutes. Longer draws out the tannin and the bergamot starts to taste soapy rather than bright, which is the usual complaint against a badly made Earl Grey.

On milk, opinion is divided and both camps are right about something. Milk rounds the tannin but flattens the citrus, which is the whole point of the tea. Try it black first and add milk only if the cup feels too sharp. A slice of lemon is the classic alternative and doubles down on the citrus instead of fighting it.

Iced and cold-brewed

Bergamot survives cold better than almost any tea aromatic, which makes this the best cold-brew candidate in our range. Put the leaf in cold water in a jug, refrigerate overnight, strain in the morning. No bitterness at all, and the citrus comes through cleanly. In the Cambodian hot season this is worth knowing.

Sold as loose leaf, in a 90 g tin, in our three shops.