What is the difference between Earl Lipton black tea and Chuanning Earl black tea? Earl's black tea tastes strange.

If you think "tea" and "Earl Grey" are synonyms, you're not alone. There are millions of die-hard fans of Earl Grey around the world who would rather give up tea altogether than try other blends.

Earl Grey is a classic tea, its signature bergamot oil adds a soft citrus flavor to black tea. And it's a classy name, isn't it? Especially when ordered by British actor Patrick Stewart in his role as captain Jean-Luc Picard in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation." Whenever Captain Picard ordered tea from his computer, he would say the same thing: "Earl Grey." Hot."

An English actor would have made the Earl of Grey more famous, quite rightly, because it was named after Charles Grey, the second Earl of Grey and Prime Minister of Britain from 1830 to 1834. While the true origin of tea blend formation isn't really known in Mandarin Chinese--saving lives is part of some unproven story--Grey's family says unusual bergamot oil is due to high levels of lime in the water near Grey's home. Bergamot helps offset the lime in the water, making the tea more palatable. Whatever the reason, we are grateful.

(Note to bergamot: Bergamot oil is extracted from the peel of bergamot, a fruit grown on the bergamot orange tree.) Although it originated in Southeast Asia, it is now cultivated all over the world, but production takes place mainly in Reggio di Calabria in Italy; the production of bergamot has become synonymous with the region. In addition to Earl Grey's signature flavor, it has many uses, including aromatherapy, perfume, cosmetics, hairdressing and more.

The original Charles Gray was a British general during the Revolutionary War. He impressed King George III and earned the hereditary title Earl of Grey.

While we don't plan on snatching a cup of Earl Grey from anyone, we've included this popular tea in our Beyond Blends collection to help Earl Grey fans learn about the other EG varieties of tea we offer. We understand that what we ask of those dedicated to Earl Grey as their only tea is akin to asking the non-swimmer to come out into deep water…but trust us, we'll float you in ecstasy when you find out there's plenty of Earl Grey tea to delight and broaden your horizons.

Before we start exploring the different Earl Grey teas, let's talk about the original version. The recipe was handed down to John Haney by his mentor Stanley Mason. Stanley likes this blend of oolong and black teas. Intense flavours from Ceylon, Assam and Kimen are diluted by Formosa oolong tea, which has a light fruity flavour. Stanley also introduced John to the best bergamot supplier.