Prince of Wales tea blend is a blend of China black teas typically served in the afternoon with scones in Britain. The blend was originally devised for Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII. The strong earthy scent of Edward's tea reportedly came from high grade Keemun tea from Anhui Province blended with other black teas from around China in order to produce a complex cup of tea. Prince of Wales tea is mild, but full-bodied, with a bright liquor and strong aroma.
Edward, Prince of Wales, first granted Twinings permission to sell his personal blend using his royal title, in 1921. Twinings of London, however, has largely withdrawn its Prince of Wales tea from the United Kingdom market although it is still marketed abroad, as witnessed by Twinings's official regional websites. In its American online catalog, Twinings once stated that "Prince of Wales is a pure China black tea sourced from regions including the Yunnan province and other southern regions of China. This blend is light in color and has a smooth and mild taste, with a well-rounded character. Great in the late morning or in the afternoon, it is perfect with or without milk and can be sweetened to taste." Twinings has advanced the time it is permissible to enjoy this classical afternoon tea to "late morning."
As with many blends of tea, such as Earl Grey tea and English Breakfast tea, there is no firmly fixed formula for what teas go into Prince of Wales tea blend. Many varieties of Prince of Wales tea are now produced. One Prince of Wales tea, for example, is a blend of "Assam black tea, Ceylon black tea, Gunpowder green tea, Lucky Dragon Hyson green tea, and natural black currant flavoring."
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