Earl Grey is a famous premium tea blend with a distinctive flavour and aroma, both of which can be attributed to the addition of an oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange. Earl Grey is named after the 2nd Earl Grey, the British Prime Minister throughout the 1830's, who is believed to have received diplomatic gift of tea flavoured with this bergamot orange. Another theory or legend is that a Chinese Mandarin presented the tea to the Earl in 1803 after his son was saved from drowning by one of the Earl's men. Jackson's of Piccadilly claim that they originated the tea in 1830 after Earl Grey passed the recipe to George Charlton, a founding partner of Jackson & Co. According to Jackson's the original recipe has been in constant production ever since that year. Of course, Earl Grey has always traditionally been consumed in loose leaf form and is traditionally a black tea, which are featured on my Loose Earl Greyand Earl Grey Tea Bags hubs, it is also possible to buy Decaf Earl Grey Tea. The principles of Earl Grey, with its special bergamot orange recipe, has since been applied to other speciality teas; including Green Tea which this article will focus on.

About Green Tea

Green Tea is made solely with the leaves of the Camellia sinensis, and undergoes very minimal oxidation during its processing. Although black tea is also made from Camellia sinensis leaves, it is oxidized for much longer so is generally much stronger and contains more caffeine than the less oxidized teas. Green tea is believed to have many health benefits.

Taylors of Harrogate is the recipient of the British councils best cup of tea award, confirming their place amongst the elite of British tea manufacturers. Taylors have remained in their Yorkshire home since 1886 and to this day remain a family business. Their Earl Grey green tea is one that I can fully recommend, and is the only authentic English Earl Grey green tea that is exported in quantity to America; although this is reflected in the price. This tea is the best on the list if you can afford it, otherwise I have selected two other high quality teas produced in America.

I have to be honest, this Bigelow Earl Grey Green Tea - which is of course American - is a very good tea; and can be considered a high quality choice. I would still plump for Taylors out of the teas in this hub, but for those that do not intend to drink larger quantities, this could be a good choice. It actually works out more expensive per bag than the Taylors tea. Bigelows has become the premium American brand since its formation in 1945, supplying America with a huge selection of world teas. When buying tea from America, be wary of low quality providers. Nobody knows their teas like the English, just like Americans know their coffee, and many teas on the market in America pale in significance to authentic English recipes. As an Englishman, this tea has my thumbs up.

Bentley's is another American company, this one a relatively new business, who have sought to tap into the growing American market for tea. Bentley's Earl Grey Green Tea comes in a delightful tin, to mimic English packaging, and has become a very popular product of theirs. This is certainly a high quality tea, with a very distinct Earl Grey flavour, and is well suited to those that enjoy their tea strong. These tea bags will cost you the equivalent of just 10 cents per cup of tea on Amazon, which makes this product the cheapest high quality tea on my list! Be warned that I have selected only the highest quality teas, so your are at great risk of compromising on quality should you decide to select a cheaper brand. I believe that this tea offers the greatest value for money.