Exact quantities, then the method.
This is how to get the best from Dragonfly Organic Earl Grey Rooibos, a caffeine-free Earl Grey that tastes and smells just like the real thing but will not keep you up at night. Like all Rooibos it wants a full rolling boil, and the heat does the bergamot a favour too, lifting its perfume as the cup brews. Warm the cup first, as cold china draws the volatile bergamot oil off faster than you would think.
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the Earl Grey Rooibos, with Lemon or Cream recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/earl-grey/earl-grey-rooibos-with-lemon-or-cream/
The finish is where Earl Grey has its own rules. A thin slice of lemon brightens the bergamot; a small splash of cold cream, the old Twinings way, softens it. Pick one or the other, but never use milk, which simply mutes the bergamot that gives the cup its character.
You'll need
- 1 Dragonfly Organic Earl Grey Rooibos tea bag
- 250ml freshly drawn water, brought to a true rolling boil
- 1 thin slice of unwaxed lemon, freshly cut (optional, the British way)
- 1 small splash of cold double cream, about 1 teaspoon (optional, the Twinings tradition; choose between the lemon and the cream, not both)
- 1 tsp white sugar or demerara sugar (optional, to taste)
Method
- Bring the kettle to a full rolling boil. The rooibos needs the whole 100C, and a full-boil cup brings the bergamot out at its best, so this is one tea you do not let cool before pouring.
- Warm the cup first, half-filling it with hot water and tipping it out. This matters more for a bergamot tea than a plain one, as cold china pulls the oil away quickly.
- Drop the bag into the warm cup and pour the boiling water straight over, to about a centimetre below the rim.
- Cover with a saucer or tea cosy to keep the bergamot perfume and the rooibos in the cup while it brews.
- Steep, covered, for a full six minutes. Rooibos is forgiving on time, and the bergamot is at its strongest between four and six minutes.
- Lift out the bag with a teaspoon, press it once against the side, and discard.
- Choose your finish: a thin slice of lemon floated on top for the British classic, or a small splash of cold double cream stirred in the Twinings way. One or the other, and never milk.
- Sweeten only if you like; demerara keeps the deep red-amber colour clearer than white sugar. Drink it while the bergamot is at its most fragrant, with a plain shortbread on the side.
The tea it is made with, and what to make next.
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Brewed with: Dragonfly Organic Earl Grey Rooibos, 40 Tea Bags 100g
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