Earl Grey | A Soothing Sleep Podcast for Overthinkers

Looking for a sleep podcast to fall asleep fast, reduce anxiety, and quiet an overactive mind? This calming episode of The Insomnia Project is designed for insomnia relief, stress reduction, and gentle nighttime unwinding through slow, soothing conversation.
Marco Timpano and Nidhi Khanna explore Earl Grey tea, its distinctive bergamot flavour, and the comforting rituals of making and enjoying a warm cup. From tea preferences to the calming routine of steeping and sipping, this episode offers low-stimulation, cozy content perfect for bedtime listening.
With soft-spoken storytelling and a gentle, meandering pace, the conversation creates a peaceful atmosphere that helps ease racing thoughts and promote relaxation. Focused on simple pleasures and familiar comforts, this relaxing podcast episode is ideal for sleep, stress relief, or quiet background listening during your day.
Whether you’re searching for a sleep podcast for insomnia, calming background noise while you work, or a gentle way to unwind at night, The Insomnia Project offers a comforting, reliable escape.

​Earl Grey
(Original airdate: Aug 10, 2016)

 Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, lie back, recline however you'd like, relax and listen. As we have a conversation about the mundane, we try to promise you that, uh, our conversation will be less than fascinating or at the very least, relaxing so that you can just drift off. Thank you for joining us we hope you will listen and sleep. I'm your host, Marco Timpano.

nidhi:  And I'm your co host, Nidhi Khanna.

Marco:  Now, Nidhi, we had mentioned a few episodes back that we were going to talk about Earl Grey tea.

nidhi:  Yes, Marco. So this was stemming from a controversy in terms of how you actually take Earl Grey tea. Because while many people seem to put milk in their Earl Grey tea.

Marco:  Yes.

nidhi:  The proper way to have it seems to be with lemon.

Marco:  Really? Why is that?

nidhi:  Apparently, Earl Grey tea, uh, because it's infused with bergamot oil. Originally, people say that it was infused in such a way to disguise the taste of lime that was naturally in the water in the 1800s.

Marco:  Lye.

nidhi:  Lime.

Marco:  Lime.

nidhi:  Lime.

Marco:  Old lime.

nidhi:  Um, but not lime as the stuff.

Marco:  Citrus. But lime as in the calcification.

nidhi:  I don't know. I think. I don't know. Uh, it says lime as in spelt as the citrus fruit. So I'm not quite sure why it has to be a lemon.

Marco:  Well, it's interesting that you should say this because bergamot, uh, bergamot oil is from the bergamot fruit, which is a citrus fruit.

nidhi:  Exactly. So maybe it's a taste thing. Maybe it's a pretty preference thing. However, it's still very controversial. So the research that, um, I've done indicates that it is still a 50, 50 sort of, um, split in terms of how one has Earl Grey tea. Uh, apparently people also assume that to have Earl Grey tea, they assume that it's, um, uh, it's meant for the. The posher part of society because of its origins. And Earl Grey T really originated, uh, with the, um. Well, it was named after Charles Grey, who was the second Earl, uh, Grey. And he was also the British Prime Minister in the 1830s, I think. 1830-18. 1834.

Marco:  That's right. Um, the first Earl Grey was Charles Gray, who was also Baron Gray. But it's interesting because it's the second Earl Grey that the T was named after, who was also Charles Gray.

nidhi:  Exactly. And so there's a bit of controversy in terms of how Earl, uh, Grey T came to be.

Marco:  Now, before we get to this controversy.

nidhi:  Yes.

Marco:  I should mention that lime, along with being the fruit, is also a white, caustic, alkaline substance consisting of calcium oxide, and it's obtained by heating limestone. So that's what would have been in the water that you were trying to mask.

nidhi:  I understand.

Marco:  That's why I asked you if it was lye or lime, because lye obviously is very, uh, poisonous and can be found in water sources, so you have to be careful. But lime also, um, is obviously some sort of calcium oxide substance that's found in water. So back to the controversy.

nidhi:  Yes.

Marco:  Uh, the second Earl Grey is the one the tea was named after, not the Baron. The first Earl Grey.

nidhi:  Exactly. Now, there's a bit of controversy in terms of the legends of how, um, Earl Grey was, I, uh, guess, discovered, or how it was introduced to the British people.

Marco:  You tell us that, and then I'll tell you some connections to Canada that Earl Grey has.

nidhi:  Perfect. So according to one legend, you had a grateful, um, Chinese bureaucrat whose son had been rescued from drowning. From drowning, sorry. From one of Lord Grey's, um, uh, I guess, uh. Uh, what? Soldiers.

Marco:  Okay.

nidhi:  Um, and, uh, that happened in, like, 1803, apparently. However, let the record show Marco, that the second Earl Grey never actually set foot in China. So that's a bit of a controversial tale. Right. Um, more likely, he. He was gifted, uh, the Earl Grey tea, which has. Which is a Chinese, um, blend black tea. Um, in a, uh, more from a protocol perspective. He's gifted it.

Marco:  Fair.

nidhi:  Um, that being said, Jacksons of Piccadilly, which I guess, is a famous tea, um, manufacturer in Britain and claim m they originated the Earl's Grey. Earl Grey's tea, um, because Lord Grey gave them the recipe.

Marco:  Oh, he. Which Earl Grey do we know?

nidhi:  The second Earl Grey stands, um, to reason. That being said, uh, um, according to the Gray family, the tea was specially blended by a Chinese bureaucrat for Lord Grey, uh, to suit the water at Howick hall, which was the family seat. Um, and he used bergamot in particular to offset, as we said, the taste or the smell of, um, um, lime in the local water. And then Lady Gray.

Marco:  Oh, so before we get to Lady Grey.

nidhi:  Okay, we should continue talking.

Marco:  We should mention that Earl, uh, Grey, the word gray is spelled G R E ey in this case as an Earl Grey T. The Gray Cup. And the reason it's significant, and where I were mentioning its connection to Canada, is we're recording the Insomnia Project here in Toronto, and that's where we're based out of the Great cup, which is the, um, biggest prize in Canadian Football League in the cfl, as we call it, was named after the fourth Earl Gray.

nidhi:  Well, look at that.

Marco:  And Grey County, Ontario, is named after Earl Grey. And Grey county consists of the township of Chatsworth, township of Georgian Bluffs, the m. Municipality of Grey Highlands, the town of Hanover, the municipality of Meaford, the city of Owen Sound, and the seat of Grey county is Owen Sound, the township of South Southgate, the towns of the Blue Mountains, and the municipality of West Gray. And that's in southern Ontario. Or the Georgian Triangle Triangle, which was created in 1852 after Charles Gray, which is the second Earl Grey, who the tea was named after, uh, was Prime Minister, and he was prime minister of the UK between 1830, 1830, and 1834, as you mentioned. And in 1861-1862, the first gravel roads were constructed in Owen Sound at the cost of 300,000 Canadian dollars. So that's the connection between Earl Grey and at least Ontario. And the Grey Cup.

nidhi:  That is not only fascinating, but also incredibly convoluted.

Marco:  There you go.

nidhi:  Well, Lady Gray used. Used, uh, to serve Earl Grey tea. And, uh, she used to serve it to entertain when she was in London. And, uh, it proved so popular with her guests that she was asked if it could be sold to others or the public at large, which is how Twinings, the British, um, the famous British, uh, tea manufacturer, um, brought it to market.

Marco:  Do you know that there is a Lady Gray tea, which is a variation of Earl Grey, but it. It is a black tea, like Earl Grey, with the, uh, lower concentrations of bergamot, but it contains lemon peel and orange peel. And it was named after Mary Elizabeth Gray, the wife of, guess who. Charles Gray, the second Earl Grey. So Charles ii, I guess you could say. Um, and it's like you said, a registered trademark, or it is a registered trademark of Twining.

nidhi:  Did you know there's also, um, Marco, a French Earl Grey?

Marco:  No, I did not know this.

nidhi:  So, I mean, there's a lot of variations on Earl Grey tea. So for example, uh, you can have, um, ones that are made more from, like, a jasmine blend. Right? Um, but there's a blend that has an addition of rose petals, which is known as French Earl Grey.

Marco:  I need to get myself some French Earl Grey.

nidhi:  Yeah, it sounds really good. There's also a Russian Earl Earl Grey. What do you think is in a Russian Earl Grey?

Marco:  Well, I don't know what's in it, but I bet it's a very milky tea, because I know the Russian teas are very milky teas.

nidhi:  So it doesn't. I don't know in my research if it has, uh, a particularly milky taste, but considering a White Russian and what that is, I would assume that it would be very milky. However, Russian Earl Grey, um, usually contains ingredients like, uh, citrus peels and lemongrass in addition to the black tea and the bergamot. So, um, there's a lot of really interesting variations. And of course, I guess a North American drink that has, um, really taken on the Earl Grey essence is the London Fog.

Marco:  Oh, yes.

nidhi:  Which is a combination of Earl Grey steamed milk and vanilla syrup, which I don't know if you've ever had one, but I quite enjoy one. A London Fog on like a. On a cold, like November December day. Warms you up.

Marco:  It's kind of like a tea latte, if you will.

nidhi:  Sure. Um, but I spoke before about, um, the tea manufacturer. Ah, Twinings.

Marco:  Yes.

nidhi:  Um, and they actually reformulated their Earl grey tea in 20, uh, 11. And they claimed, when they, like, reformulated the recipe, I guess, uh, that they added an extra hint of bergamot and citrus. Um, but they had an overwhelming negative response on their website. Really? Yeah. So, I mean, it even drew the attention, um, of like a protest group on Facebook because people were so outraged by the reformulation of such a classic recipe. So it just goes to show that people are very, very, um, particular and protective of their Earl Grey tea.

Marco:  Well, it is sort of like. I don't want to say the King of teas, but shall I say the Earl of teaspoon? Do you know that you can make sauces with Earl Grey tea?

nidhi:  Really?

Marco:  Yeah. You can, um, sort of like add your tea bags to your stock and boil it for a few minutes and it will, uh, and then remove the tea because you don't want it to get too, um, bitter, let's say, or tannic. Right. Remove it and your tea in your. Sorry, your stock or your sauce will have an Earl Grey flavor. You can also flavor your vodka with Earl Grey tea by steeping, uh, tea in your vodka and leaving it for a day or two and then removing it, depending how strong or weak you prefer it.

nidhi:  So it's interesting you say that, Marco, because I've noticed in a few places, um, in Toronto that you can get cocktails that sort of have that Earl Grey infusion in them. So, um, I can see how that would work well with vodka or even gin.

Marco:  Oh, you know what? Um, Nidhi, I think gin would probably be more appropriate since gin is a alcohol. Uh, that is a British alcohol. You would think it would go hand in hand with the Earl Grey. So I think you're right there. I would infuse it with gin versus vodka, though. You could infuse it with either.

nidhi:  Margot, have you ever been to, um, bar in Toronto called Bar Chef?

Marco:  No. I've heard quite a bit of it, though. Quite. I've heard quite a bit about It.

nidhi:  I should say so. There's this whole, um. Well, I guess it's not a trend, but a whole school of cocktail making called mixology. And uh, Bar Chef was really one of the first cocktail bars, I guess, that really embraced mixology. So they have these really cool drinks that um, have all these different types of infusions. And when you go in, it's um, it's like. So if you were to pass it on the street, you wouldn't even know it's there because there's these black curtains that are in front of the bar.

Marco:  Okay.

nidhi:  And you walk in and it's very dimly lit. However, um, the bar has all these sort of, um. It's almost like they have Bunsen burners and like very chemistry type decor. Um, and uh, they have like a drink there that for example, like, I think it's. I can't remember if it's a whiskey drink or something like that, but there's like dry, uh, ice that's part of the drink and it like creates a smoky effect and it's brought to your. I think it's like $40 for this drink or something like this. But, um, it's kind of a cool way to experience different infusions. Uh, so the whole idea of mixing Earl Grey and Earl Grey infusion in your cocktail I think would be something, um, worthwhile. I don't know if they have it at Bar Chef, but we'd have to.

Marco:  We will have to go investigate.

nidhi:  Yes, I think I will.

Marco:  You know, Nidhi, I mentioned that it was a citrus. Actually, bergamot is an orange. So it's a citrus bergamia, or the bergamot orange. And do you know that it takes, um, it is, uh, produced in Italy, is the biggest producer of bergamot.

nidhi:  Oh, interesting. I know bergamot oil. Like, I wonder if that's even used. I believe it's used in perfumes as well or something like that.

Marco:  Oh, it's used for all different sorts of things. And the interesting thing about, um, it's used like in different sort of skin cares and um, all different sort of like, um, medicinal uses. In the past they've used it for, uh, different things. But I had a sort of statistic with regards to how many, um, uh, bergamot, uh, how many oranges you need to produce. I think it's like 100 bergamot oranges for an ounce of bergamot M oil.

nidhi:  Oh, wow. That's quite a lot of bergamot oranges.

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Have you ever tried Earl Grey tea with lavender in it

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nidhi:  Wayfair. Every style. Every home. Marco, I tried. Just go back to Earl Grey tea for a moment.

Marco:  100 Bergamot oranges yields about 3 ounces or 85 grams of Bergamot oil. Wow.

nidhi:  Um, but Earl Grey tea, have you ever tried it with lavender in it?

Marco:  No, but I love lavender, so I bet it would be fantastic.

nidhi:  I knew you did. So, yes, it is fantastic. And um, there's a company, uh, in Canada called David's Tea that has a really good version of Earl Grey's tea that has like a lavender flavoring to it. There's like lavender petals in it. Um, but I know you also get, I think, uh, on a seasonal basis, there's a really good Earl Grey tea that you.

Marco:  Yeah. Uh, it's called, uh, Earl's Valentine.

nidhi:  That's right.

Marco:  Thank you for reminding me of that. And it's around Valentine's Day, clearly, and it only lasts for about a month. I think I may have drank it or you may have drank it on one of our episodes. But it is, ah, Earl Grey with, um, little slivers of chocolate and rose petals in it. Um, I don't know if there's other items in it, but those. That's the sort of distinguishing feature. So it's got a kind of sweetness and a floralness to it that makes, um, it special, I guess. It's amazing how much information there is about Earl Grey tea. The Earls of Gray, or the Gray Earls, however you would search, sort of size it up and, uh, its connection with both the tea world and just historic, um, sites.

nidhi:  It's. It's very true. I mean, um, whether you break it down as Earl Grey or bergamot, as you say, um, you know, everything from. I mean, everything that we've mentioned here, from the perfume, from the tea to London fog, all those London fog, but even Turkish Delight.

Marco:  Oh, it has Earl Grey in it.

nidhi:  Yeah. That's what the. I think the kind of flavoring, the distinct flavoring of Turkish Delight, that sort

Marco:  of citrusy without being overly sweet flavor of that particular, um. Dessert.

nidhi:  You got it. You got it.

Marco:  Dessert or candy? I don't even know.

nidhi:  You know, that's a good question. I think it's a candy.

Marco:  Okay, I. I agree with you there, because every time I've had it, and it's kind of like in powdered sugar. The real Turkish delight, the actual Turkish delight, is like little cubes that have been powdered in sugar and are different colors. Reddish and greenish are the ones I've

nidhi:  had, I think, depending on the flavor of it.


Do you prefer candy or dessert? I'm not a candy person

Do you prefer candy or dessert?

Marco:  Oh, I'm not a candy person, to be honest with you. No, I like chocolate and I like dessert, without a doubt, pine pies and whatnot. But candy, like, um, you know, like licorice or jelly beans and things like that don't really do it for me. Or like, what are they called? Swedish fish or the Swedish berries? Yeah, they're not, um. That's not for me, I think, because they get so gummy in my teeth that I. I don't. I don't love them.

nidhi:  I prefer dessert as well. Like, I'd rather have, like, a piece of cake instead of.

Marco:  Sure.

nidhi:  Uh, maybe a sugary candy or something that like. Like that. But, um, I've also. Well, I mean, we've talked about this before in terms of dessert and salt or yeast. Savory. Right.

Marco:  It's funny you should mention this when we were talking about the Earl of Grey and British teas and whatnot, but I had a fantastic shortbread cookie yesterday. It was a maple shortbread cookie. And shortbread is often associated with the uk, I believe, Scott. Scotland, in particular, the Scottish are known for their shortbread. Um, and I had seen there a Earl Gray flavored shortbread cookie.

nidhi:  No.

Marco:  So there you go. That was just last night. Yeah.

nidhi:  Wow. That's something that I think we need to try. I, um. I have to be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Earl Grey.

Marco:  Oh, really? See, I love it.

nidhi:  I would rather have a sweet, strong English breakfast tea or, um. What I loved when I was living in the uk, um, is the Assam tea.

Marco:  Okay.

nidhi:  Which. I don't know why you don't find it as easily here in Canada. That particular blend.

Marco:  What is, uh, like an Assam tea?

nidhi:  Assam is like a. Is a strong, um, black tea, uh, from a region in India. Like the Assam region. Region. Um, but for some reason in the uk, it's like a specialty blend. Not a specialty blend, but you'll find actual tea that is labeled Assam tea. Um, but in North America or in Canada in particular, you can't find it as a specific blend. I don't know, maybe if it's, uh, part of. I don't know, um, another type of

Marco:  tea, but it's not like an orange pekoe. Maybe it has a different name here.

nidhi:  Yeah, maybe, maybe. But my favorite tea.

Marco:  Okay.

nidhi:  Um, would have to be the Twinings English breakfast.

Marco:  Okay. That's your favorite?

nidhi:  Yeah, that's something that I really, really like. I don't know if it's the strength or whatever they put in it. Um, but it's, ah, it's. It's one, um, of my favorites.

Marco:  I don't know why I love an Irish breakfast tea as well, but I do. One of my favorite teas, one of my go to teas definitely, is the Earl Grey tea. So you would probably love an Irish breakfast tea because it has. An Irish breakfast tea has a strong Assam component, which gives it a more robust, malty flavor. Uh, and kind of a reddish color. Is Assam tea kind of reddish when you.

nidhi:  Yeah. So, I mean, it's interesting because the English breakfast tea also has Assam tea in it, but it's got a blend of teas from Kenya, Indonesia, Malawi and China. Whereas the Irish breakfast tea, uh, I think is even stronger than an English breakfast.

Marco:  Um, I think it has more Assam tea in it.

nidhi:  Yeah. Because it's got, uh. Right. Because it doesn't have the tea from Malawi, but it's got the Kenya, Indonesia, China, and a bit more Assam.

Marco:  There you go.

nidhi:  There you go. Look at that.

Marco:  What a. What a intense focus on British teas we just had on this particular episode. I love my teas.

nidhi:  I. You know, tea, when it's done well, is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Marco:  The interesting thing about Earl Grey tea for me is I don't like it steeped too long.

nidhi:  I love my tea steeped. Really?

Marco:  Even Earl Grey? See, uh, for me, Earl Grey, you cannot steep it too long.

nidhi:  I find weak tea is just not my thing.

Marco:  I'm not saying weak, but I don't like it over steeped.

nidhi:  Well, fair enough, fair enough.

Marco:  It just depends on the degree of steepness, I guess, between you and I and our Earl Grey.

nidhi:  Exactly. Exactly.


The Insomnia Project thanks Charles ii, Earl Grey for making this episode

Marco:  Well, that brings the Earl Grey episode to a close. I want to thank our listeners and people who enjoy bergamot, Bergamot oil and Earl Grey tea. I also want to thank Charles ii, Earl Grey. Not the first, the second, because he is the person behind the Earl Grey tea, which we know and love.

nidhi:  We welcome. Uh, or we encourage you to subscribe to the Insomnia Project on itunes. Feel, uh, free to rate us or leave us a review. And, um, if you'd like to interact with us, we'd always love to hear from you. So please find us on Twitter. Listenandsleep.

Marco:  That's listen and written out. Sleep.

nidhi:  The Insomnia Project is produced by Drumcast Productions, and we are recording from Toronto, Canada. Until the next time, we hope that you listen and sleep.