With the many different types and styles of tea available today it can be quite confusing especially when a tea crosses over to more than one category, as is the case with some blended and scented teas. One such example is the ever popular Earl Grey which is a blended tea but also crosses over to a scented or flavored tea, with the addition of bergamot oil, a citrus type fruit similar to an orange. |
The main difference between blended and scented teas is that blended teas are a combination of several teas blended togeth- er to achieve a certain flavor profile. Blended teas have been around for centuries, but it was the British who began blending Chinese and Indian teas in the 19th century to create specific flavor profiles that could be duplicat- ed again and again.The Lipton, Twinings, and other tea manu- facturers of that time began creating blend- |
In the latter part of the 19th century, though, new British tea barons were growing their own tea in India, whose teas were stronger than the mild China black teas. Today’s English Breakfast blended tea is made using a combination of both Chinese black tea and the stronger India blends of Assam or Nilgiri black tea.Many blended teas were created to satisfy the flavor preferences of a specific locale, such as Irish Breakfast, similar to English Break- fast, but with a greater portion of Kenya tea and sometimes even Darjeeling and Earl Grey which is probably the most oolong, etc., or can have a blended base Jasmine, wild rosebuds, chrysanthe lotus The pouching or zao bei base tea readily allows the absorption of the aromatic scent of blooms late in July through early September.Top grade white tea, which is also minimally oxidized is also often Today there are literally thousands of combinations and styles of tea as well as herbal |