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Prince of Wales tea blend is a blend ofKeemun tea,gunpowder green tea, and a dash of currant juice or infused with dried currants[citation needed]. This produces a full-bodied cup with a bright liquor and strong aroma. It was named afterEdward, Prince of Wales, who held that title from 1911 until 1936.[1]
Typically served in the afternoon withscones inBritain,[citation needed] the blend was originally devised for Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII and after his abdication the Duke of Windsor.[2]
Prince Edward first grantedTwinings permission to sell his personal blend using his royal title in 1921. Although Twinings has largely withdrawn its Prince of Wales tea from theUnited Kingdom market, it is still offered abroad, according to Twinings's official regional websites. On its American packaging Twinings stated that
Prince of Wales is a pure China black tea sourced from regions including theYunnan 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.[3]
However, this is a curious change to the supposed historical fact given on Twining's old Prince of Wales tea tins which read :
A blend of carefully selectedfinest Keemun black teas considered by connoisseurs to be one of the finest Chinese teas. [emphasis added]]
Indeed, "Keemun" isn't even mentioned!
As with many tea blends, such asEarl Grey andEnglish breakfast, there is no set formula for what teas go into a Prince of Wales blend. Many tea companies now produce blends with this name. In Germany the Paul Schrader GmbH & Co. KG Bremen (founded in 1921) has offered a version since 1958 consisting of Chinese black teas andDarjeeling with a pinch ofLapsang souchong.
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