Earl Grey Tea

I am the ever-popular Earl Grey Tea.
Let me answer some common questions I get a lot.
Who is Earl Grey?
I am named after Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey, and Prime Minister of Britain in the 1830s. He was given me as a gift. (By whom is a well-guarded family secret!) He loved me so much that he had his tea company figure out how to reproduce me. The rest is history.
What gives you your flavor?
My exquisite flavor comes from oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a citrus fruit grown in Italy. This is what makes me Earl Grey.
What country do you come from?
Here's the fun part. I come from all over! There is only one (yes, one!) plant that tea is made from, the Camellia sinensis bush. It's grown all over the world. But the different conditions in the different countries where the tea bush grows produce different tasting teas! So Ceylon, Darjeeling, Assam, Kenyan, and other teas all come from the same tea plant. I could have any of these as my base tea, or a blend of two or more. What makes me Earl Grey is the addition of the bergamot oil into the base tea.
I've seen other types of Earl Grey like Lavender Earl Grey, Smoked Earl Grey, and Green Earl Grey. What's up with that?
Sometimes you just like to try on some new clothes. Well, so do I. If you love me (and who doesn't, really), then give these variations a try. They're me, dressed up!
I tried you once. You didn't taste good.
This may be due to you picking up a box of tea at the grocery store, or maybe a bag at a friend's house. Let me tell you something. Most of those bagged teas are mangled afterthoughts of who I really am. To fully appreciate me, try me in my whole-leaf form. You can order any of my variations from Joyful Teas . They love me! Another reason might be that you steeped me for too long; steep me for 3-5 minutes. Any longer than that, and I get bitter.
Are you pleased with Captain Picard for increasing your popularity?
Duh!