Dieter Folz > wrote:
>
>Twinings Earl Grey use definitly NOT the original recipe, because at
>Earl Grey's time tea was not harvested by machines. Also there was real
>bergamotte oil and not just flavouring which is used by Twinings
>(German declaration law is *very* strict on that, so based on the label
>with the declaration of ingredients (Zutaten) they definitely use no
>real bergamotte oil!).

The original bitter orange oil that was used was probably not Bergamot
oil anyway, which where things start getting very confusing.

>The only brand I know which uses a traditional blend of Chinese black
>O.P. leaf teas and real (Italian) bergamotte oil is a traditional
>German brand (Teekanne). Maybe this is the closest match to the
>original Earl Grey recipe.

I have seen some commercially made that used real bergamot oil and some
which used a bergamot+neroli oil mixture.

>On the other hand: does it really matter? Isn't it more important,
>which taste you like most?

It _would_ be interesting to know what the original Earl Grey tea was
like. I don't think we'll ever know today, though, because I think the
orange oil used is probably unavailable. Bergamot is a reasonable
substitute to my mind.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."