Bergamot flavoring gives Earl Grey tea its distinctive taste.
Bergamot flavoring is derived from the peel of the bergamot orange -- Citrus bergamia -- a citrus tree native to the Mediterranean region. This flavoring is perhaps best known as the component that gives Earl Grey tea its singular aroma.
The Bergamot Orange and Its Oil
The bergamot orange is a small, evergreen tree bearing fragrant, white blossoms that give way to greenish or pale-yellow fruit. Unlike other citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons and grapefruits, the bergamot orange is not typically eaten, according to the "Herbal Soaps & Detergents Hand Book," by H. Panda. Its rind, however, is pressed to make an essential oil used in perfumery in addition to flavoring tea. One hundred bergamot oranges are employed to extract 3 oz. of oil, according to the book "Subtropical Cultivations and Climates." This oil is lauded for its fresh, clean and mildly peppery smell.
The bergamot orange is named for the northern Italian town of Bergamo, where this famous oil was first produced. The first literary reference to bergamot oil comes from the 17th century French perfume manual "En la Parfumerie Francoise," states Panda. This fruit was used in traditional Italian folk medicine to combat fevers and intestinal worms. Today much of the world's bergamot oil is produced in the southern Italian region of Calabria.
Earl Grey Tea
Earl Grey tea is made by adding bergamot flavoring to black tea. This beverage was named for aristocratic tea enthusiast Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, who died in 1894. It is claimed the blend was invented by English tea makers in the 1830s. It may also have originated in Turkey or Persia, where bergamot oil had long been known as an aromatic flavoring and bath oil, according to "Tea: How Tradition Stood in the Way of the Perfect Cup."
The Other Bergamot
Bergamot orange is sometimes confused with an herb called bergamot -- Monarda didyma-- also known as bee balm, monarda or Oswego tea, states the Encyclopedia of Spices. This herb, native to North America, possesses a flavor similar to that of the bergamot orange. It is commonly used to prepare a refreshing herbal infusion.
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