Earl Grey Tea: Stash, Bigelow, or Lipton

With the exception of herbal teas, all tea is derived from the Camellia Sinensis plant. According to the Tea Association of the USA, the difference between these teas is "the various degrees of processing" and how long the leaves are oxidized, which means how long they are in contact with oxygen. This is also referred to as fermentation. The United Kingdom Tea Council goes one step further on their web site and gives a detailed explanation of the growing, picking, production, and blending of tea. While the amount of time the leaves are oxidized determines what a tea is called, the entire process is quite time-consuming.

White and green teas are not oxidized at all. White tea isn't even made from the leaves at all, but from the buds before they open. Oolong tea is oxidized for about one to three hours, depending on the country you ask. The U.S. says two to three, the U.K. says one to two. Black tea is oxidized the longest at four hours. Both countries agree on that. White tea has the lightest flavor and the least amount of caffeine. Like coffee, which gains its darker color and increased quantity of caffeine the longer it is roasted, so it is with tea, although it is oxidized longer as opposed to roasted. Green tea is next in strength. Lately, it has been tauted as the cure-all for many ailments, from losing weight to having a healthy heart. Oolong is in between green and black. Black is the strongest.

Earl Grey tea (which is named after the second Earl Grey who was the British Prime Minister in the 1830s) is a combination of black teas, much like different types of wine are made of different grapes from various vineyards. The region's soil and air have a great influence on the flavor of the tea. For Earl Grey, the black tea leaves are combined with oil of bergamot, which lends a citrus flavor to the tea.