Earl Grey Milk Tea: Best Guide About Everything in It 2023

Earl Grey milk tea is an English tradition that is in the form of black tea flavored with bergamot, a natural citrus fruit native to coastal areas around the Lonian Sea.

However, Earl Grey tea was named after the 2nd Earl of Grey, who was the Prime Minister of England in the 1800s.

Earl Grey tea is one of the most renowned flavored teas in the world. Earl Grey tea, made traditionally from black teas such as China Keemun, was meant to be drunk without any milk.

However, in this day and age, Earl Grey is made using a base of stronger teas like Ceylon Tea as they suit better to the addition of cream or milk.

Other varieties that have been introduced include green tea and oolong tea. Earl Grey tea falls into the category of flavored teas.

It includes any type of tea (white, black, oolong, or green) that has been flavored or scented with natural or artificial flavors, fruit, flowers, oils, spices, extracts, and natural or artificial flavors.

Will Milk Curdle With Earl Grey Tea?

Here we will discuss the different parameters that play an essential role in this process:

1. Earl Grey tea composition
2. Citrus juices vs. Citrus oil
3. Milk composition
4. Temperature effect on milk

1. Earl Grey Tea Composition:

Earl Grey tea is made up of black tea leaves sprinkled with bergamot essential oils. This essential oil is extracted from bergamot flowers, not by the bergamot actual. This is not the citrus essential oil.

Bergamot fruit is a citrus fruit that has a similar physical appearance and flavor as that of orange and a lemon.

2. Citrus Juices & Citrus Oils:

Citrus essential oils are made up of the skin of citrus fruits of any kind, while citrus juices are made up of the pulp of citrus fruits.

These oils are not acidic, only flavorful, fragrant oils. While citrus juices are acidic because they consist of citric acid that lowers the PH.

In the process of making earl grey milk tea, earl grey tea leaves are exposed to citrus fruit oils, not the citrus juices, so it will not curdle the milk added in the earl grey tea.

3. Milk Composition:

Typically milk is made up of proteins and fats. Unless you add something acidic, milk will not clump together.

4. Temperature Effect on Milk:

If you add cold milk to the earl grey tea it will curdle hence Warm the milk before adding it to earl grey tea to avoid curdling.

Milk Curdling; 3 Different Reasons

1. When cold milk is poured within a cup of earl grey tea, the bergamot essential oil will react with the earl grey tea and lead to curdling of the milk.
2. If the milk is warmed and left unattended for several hours, it leads to curdling.
3. If the overall PH of milk is dropped by adding lemon juice or vinegar, it leads to its curdling.

4 Ways to Avoid Curdling of Milk:

1. Add warm milk to the earl grey tea.
2. Adopt powdered milk instead of real milk
3. Use earl grey tea from a tea bag or cheap tea.
4. Try citrus oils with milk. Because citrus oils are non-acidic, so prevent milk curdling.

Flavoring In Earl Grey Tea

Flavoring in Earl grey tea means different flavors of earl grey tea, which makes it taste better. Earl grey tea is a type of black tea and has a bold, citrusy flavor. Flavoring in earl grey tea is of different kinds due to the various natural ingredients present in it.

The citrus flavor is due to the addition of bergamot oil, synthetic or natural, obtained from the skin of bergamot fruit. Bergamot fruit is a good source of vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A, B1, and B2.

Bergamot fruit is also added to some other things like custards, syrups, cookies, and cocktails as a flavor. It may also use in mayonnaise or pesto and served with meat and fish entrees.

If you like this delicious ice cream tea recipe, here is another one for you Chai Tea Ice Cream

What Is Earl Grey Bubble Tea?

Earl grey bubble tea is a surprising and refreshing summer delight made with dairy-free almond or coconut milk, earl grey tea, and boba balls. This is a beautiful recipe to freshen up your mood in the hot season of summer. To try these recipes, have a look at the glance below.

9 Health Benefits of Earl Grey Tea

Apart from having a tasty and unique flavor (well that may be up for debate), there is no denying that Earl Grey Tea has wide-ranging health benefits. I have compiled a list below of some of the main advantages of drinking this best Earl Grey Tea for you.

1. Eases Stress:

Feel stressed lately? No worries!

Earl grey tea has a calming effect due to its natural aromatherapy qualities found in the oil. Not only that, but it can also be mood uplifting.

Earl Grey tea has an instant effect in terms of relaxing our bodies. Along with its stress-relieving properties, it also keeps the mind clear and focused, thus making it the best solution for those people who don’t want to get addicted to coffee.

2. Improves Digestion:

Earl Grey Tea is notorious for improving the digestion process by relieving any aching indigestion or nausea. The tea can also keep you in regular health by improving any intestinal problems as well.

3. Keeps You Hydrated:

Unlike coffee, tea doesn’t have any dehydrating properties. It helps you in maintaining the fluid balance of the body due to the high amount of potassium.

4. Boost Up Gut Health:

Earl grey tea acts as black tea. It is present in the fermented form and plays a vital role in the health of gut bacteria. Earl grey tea drinkers have Pseudobutyrivibrio bacteria in their gut that boost the health of the gut.

5. Enhance Autophagy:

Autophagy is a natural mechanism of the body’s tissues to remove unnecessary and dysfunctional components from the body. The natural citrus bergamot rich in earl grey tea contains the D-Limonene compound that enhances autophagy.

6. Bergamot As an Antioxidant:

Bergamot contains beneficial plant compounds known as Polyphenols. Polyphenols act as antioxidants that remove free radicals from the body, which causes cell damage and disease.

7. Boost Up Healthy Heart:

Bergamot in earl grey tea may improve heart health because bergamot consists of flavanones, which may inhibit enzymes that produce cholesterol in our body, and bergamot may also enhance the effect of cholesterol-lowering medications. It can improve your heart health by eliminating free radicals

8. Improve Oral Health:

Earl grey tea improves oral health because it contains catechin and fluoride. Catechin is an important antioxidant and antimicrobial compound that helps to improve tooth decay and oral infection, such as gingivitis.

Fluoride is also a vital compound and natural component of black tea like earl grey tea. Fluoride is good for oral health because it prevents tooth cavities by strengthening tooth enamel.

9. Improve Weight Loss:

According to research in Italy, earl grey tea has an essential role in weight loss because the citrus extract in bergamot found in earl grey tea increases metabolism and prevents absorption of fats in the gut which it helps in weight loss.

If you want to lose weight, you should take earl grey tea without sugar and milk.

4 Possible Side Effects of Earl Grey Tea

1. Caffeine Overdose:

As Earl Grey tea contains caffeine, it must be taken at a healthy dose regularly.

This is because caffeine is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an overdose of caffeine leads to tremors, anxiety, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, laziness, and irregular heartbeat. If you have experienced any of these symptoms then herbal tea is a safe choice for you. Here is our Warm Herbal Tea recipe, which is made from ginger and chamomile, Ginger Chamomile Tea.

2. Toxicity of Bergamot:

If you drink an excess of earl grey tea, it causes an increase in the absorption of potassium due to the increased toxicity of bergamot oil.

According to research by Washington University Neuromuscular Disease Center, bergamot fruit consists of a toxin called ‘’bergapten’’ that leads to harmful effects when taken excessively.

Increased absorption of potassium leads to burning sensations, blurred vision, muscle twitches, and cramping in the hands and legs.

However, these symptoms disappear after the discontinuation of earl grey tea.

3. Decrease In Iron Absorption:

The Gallic and Tannic acid in the earl grey tea disrupts the absorption of non-heme iron found in the plants and green vegetables.

However, to ensure the proper absorption of iron, take earl grey tea between meals instead of taking it with the meal.

4. Issues With Pregnancy:

As we know, earl grey tea consists of caffeine. Caffeine is not suitable for pregnant women as it may lead to miscarriage and other disorders of fetal growth.

So, pregnant women must avoid the use of earl grey tea to stay safe and healthy.

If you like to read about Earl Grey Milk Tea, then I’m sure you will also want to have a look at our other tea recipe, Rose Milk Tea.

Conclusion

Earl grey tea has a wide range of health benefits some of which are mentioned above; one must take care to consume earl grey tea in moderate amounts because;

Excess to everything is bad.

So, excessive intake of earl grey tea causes some side effects, as written above.

Share your thoughts, have you had a good or bad experience with earl grey tea? Share your thoughts in the comment box below!

Thank you.