February 2022 – Discovering Tea

In Darjeeling, the first harvests aren’t the best

25 February 2022

This year is unlike any other and I have no idea how it will play out in terms of the growing, shipping and availability of premium teas. I’ve just heard from Darjeeling that the very first batch has been harvested. Those of you who’ve been following me for a long time, including fans of first-flush Darjeelings, know that you shouldn’t rush into these things. In this region, the low-altitude plantations are the first to harvest their leaves, as they benefit sooner from milder temperatures. As they warm up, the higher gardens start picking too. The longer the period of dormancy, the slower the sap rises, leading to a greater concentration of essential oils in the leaves. This gives those gardens that harvest later the advantage of quality.

Bergamot, from fragrance to cup

18 February 2022

Although bergamot is used in tea to make the famous Earl Grey, its main application is in perfumery and has been since the first eau de colognes appeared in the 18th century. Nowadays, bergamot can be found in many fragrances and the greatest perfumers flock to Calabria to choose with care the one that suits their need. To obtain the essential oil, the fruit is first washed with reverse-osmosis water, then cold-processed using peeling machines and centrifuges.

Citrus notes

11 February 2022

In Reggio Calabria in southern Italy, bergamot is harvested from November to February from trees that each produce between 80 and 120 kilos of fruit per year. This citrus fruit, widely used in perfumery, gives the famous Earl Grey tea its citrus notes. Bergamot is grown in all the valleys in the region (pictured here: San Carlo valley), which offer breathtaking views of the Ionian Sea or the Strait of Messina.

Bergamot, a fruit from a grafted tree

4 February 2022

Just as some tea drinkers don’t realise that tea belongs to the Camellia family, there are Earl Grey fans who don’t realise that the scent wafting from their cup comes from bergamot. The tree that produces this fruit is thought to originate from a hybrid between bitter orange and citron, and the young plant is often grafted onto bitter orange rootstocks. The most prized bergamot comes from Calabria (Italy).