Which tea blend is traditionally made with black tea and oil of bergamot? The answer is Earl Grey.
Earl Grey is a flavored tea blend in which bergamot oil gives black tea its characteristic floral, citrusy aroma. Bergamot is a small citrus fruit, probably a hybrid related to lemon and bitter orange. The oil comes from the fruit’s fragrant peel and may be sprayed onto tea leaves or added through dried bergamot peel.
Traditional versions often used Chinese black teas such as keemun and were intended to be enjoyed without milk, although modern blends vary widely. Some producers use Indian, Sri Lankan, or blended black teas, and others sell green, white, oolong, or rooibos versions under the Earl Grey name.
The term is not a registered trademark, so recipes differ between companies. Earl Grey is also not the same as English Breakfast or Irish Breakfast, which are black-tea blends without bergamot as their defining flavor. A related drink, the London fog, combines Earl Grey with steamed milk and vanilla.