Earl Grey is one of the most popular teas in the world, known for its citrusy aroma and sophisticated taste. But not all Earl Grey teas are flavoured in the same way. The key to the flavour of Earl Grey tea is bergamot, a fragrant citrus fruit, but how this flavour is added can make a big difference in quality and taste. In this article we look at the three main types of flavouring used in Earl Grey tea.
This is the highest-quality and most natural form of flavouring used in Earl Grey tea. It comes from the cold-pressed oil extracted from the peel of the bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia). Tea infused with bergamot oil tends to have a more complex, authentic, and rich citrus flavour, making it the preferred choice for premium Earl Grey teas.
If you’re looking for the purest and most natural Earl Grey experience, choose teas made with cold-pressed bergamot oil. Some excellent examples include our Classic Earl Grey, Himalaya Earl Grey, Green Earl Grey, and Mary Grey, all of which are infused with this superior type of natural oil flavouring.
Natural flavouring in Earl Grey tea means that the taste is derived from natural sources, but not necessarily from the bergamot fruit itself. Instead, it may be a blend of plant extracts or essential oils that closely mimic the flavour of bergamot. While it is still considered natural, natural flavouring may be slightly less intense or refined than pure bergamot oil.
The nature-identical flavourings used in Earl Grey tea are laboratory-produced compounds that are chemically identical to natural flavours but are synthesised in a lab instead of being extracted from plants. For Earl Grey tea, this could mean a bergamot flavour that has the exact same molecular structure as naturally derived bergamot oil, but is created through chemical synthesis.
For tea blenders, the main advantages of nature-identical flavours are their stability, consistency, and affordability. Unlike natural bergamot oil, which can vary from harvest to harvest, these flavours remain uniform and long-lasting. While they may not offer the same depth as cold-pressed bergamot oil, they are widely used in many of the cheaper Earl Grey teas.
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