Our Earl Grey Blue Flower is based on a fine blend of Darjeeling and Assam BOP black teas, with streaks of blue cornflower and natural bergamot oil. It is produced without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilisers.
It has a well-blended body and a natural, refreshing bergamot flavour. Indeed, Tchai-Ovna’s resident tea guru, Martin, says that it is by far the best Earl Grey he has ever tasted!
Earl Grey tea was famously popularised by Charles Grey, 2nd Earl of Grey and Prime Minister of Britain from 1830-34. As a liberal-minded figure, prominent in the abolition of the slave trade, he was open to new ideas from elsewhere. Flavouring of tea was already widely practiced in China, but not yet well-known in Europe. However, with the help of the Earl, this was soon to change. Legend abounds as to exactly how the recipe for this black tea flavoured with Italian bergamot found its way to him, but known for certain is that he served it at all manner of aristocratic gatherings, to great acclaim. It became associated with him to the extent that it was named after him and soon become one of the most popuar and well-known tea varieties in the world.
Earl Grey, like all black teas, is packed full of health-giving compounds. It is a great source of antioxidants, such as theaflavins, thearubigins and catechins, which help reduce the number of damaging free radicals in the body. Meanwhile, its polyphenols are said to function as a prebiotic in the gut, helping the growth and maintenance of healthy bacteria. As an ever-increasing body of research into the importance of gut fauna shows, maintaining the right balance there can have all manner of positive effects, from improving digestion and the immune system to improving mental health! Some studies have indicated that compounds contained in black tea show promise in combatting conditions as diverse as cancer and Alzeimher’s disease. Regular consumption has also been shown to reduce the incidence of heart disease, reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
The bergamot oil that flavours it, sourced from the Citrus bergamia tree, provides additional health benefits. It is packed full of flavonoids like neoeriocitrin, neohesperidin and naringin, which add to the tea’s free radical-fighting powers. Bergamot has been linked with increases in good and decreases in bad cholesterol. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that aid digestion and fight conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Weight | 75 g |
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