Earl Grey is one of my favorite black teas. I especially like Mariage Freres Earl Grey Imperial, and Zingerman’s organic Earl Grey is so potent it could pass for potpourri. But if Earl Grey’s so great, The Republic of Tea’s Earl Greyer is even more so. There’s the red Earl Grey Rooibus, and the green Earl Grey Sencha. There’s even a white Earl Grey.

The essence of all these Earl Greys is bergamot. But it’s not the bergamot we gardeners grow, although that native American herb is used to make Oswego tea. To confuse matters further, Oswego tea is not only an antidote for headaches and congestion, it’s also a great food blog.

The bergamot that gives Earl Grey its wonderful fragrance is a small Italian citrus fruit, whose aromatic peel provides the essential oil used in Earl Grey as well as in perfumes, going all the way back to the original Eau de Cologne from 17th century Germany.

Still confused? Whatever you do, don’t go to bergamot.com, home to ‘bergamot-flavored blogs;’ it appears to be written mostly in Japanese. Too bad for us Earl Grey-loving gaiijin.