User:Maggiehoang/London fog (beverage)

A London Fog is a hot tea-based drink that consists of Earl Grey tea, milk, and vanilla syrup. It was originated in Vancouver, Canada. The beverage is also known as the Vanilla Tea Misto, or the Earl Grey Tea Misto. Variations of the London fog involve substituting the tea leaves and milk alternatives.

History
The London Fog originated from Vancouver, Canada by a woman named Mary Loria. According to the history, Loria was pregnant and looking for a coffee alternative. She mixed earl grey tea with milk to create this latte. In Scotland, this drink is known as a "Vancouver fog". The "fog" part comes from the frothed milk. It is popular in the Pacific Northwest and Canada's West Coast.

Health Benefits
With the bergamot oi l in Earl Grey, literature reviews suggests bergamot oil's health beneficial effects are the nervous system, cardiovascular system, inflammation, diabetes, bone, metabolism, and the skin. Since Earl grey is a black tea, it also has antioxidants properties. The caffeine in the Earl Grey also stimulates alertness. The milk in the London fog also has diary benefits (varies with milk) and milk alternative benefits.

Precaution
London Fog is a black tea which is a black tea. Black tea has caffeine, drinking caffeinated beverages increases blood pressure, interfere with calcium absorption in the body, and can lead to heartburn. Excessive amount of bergamot oil can lead to muscle cramps and blurred vision. Researchers believe it is related to a compound in bergamot oil that blocks potassium absorption.

Adding milk to tea does lower the antioxidant levels, this may be due to the fat content in milk. Research shows that adding skim milk had a greater effect than whole milk.

Ingredients
The basic ingredients of a London Fog are Earl Grey tea, vanilla flavoring, raw honey (optional), and milk of choice. Variations could be infusing the tea with different kids of flower (lavender or rose), switch syrup flavoring, substituting with almond milk or coconut milk to enhance the vanilla flavor.

Preparation
London Fog can be made in a variety of different ways, but many of the core steps remain the same. The first step is to let the tea steep in half a cup of hot water. For an iced London Fog, a step is added. After the tea is steeped in hot water, pour the tea over ice. The other half of the cup will be filled with milk, vanilla flavoring can be mixed with the milk or added to the tea. Last step is to add the milk on top of the tea, honey may be added.

Similar Drinks
The earl grey tea can be replaced with other teas to produce variations of the drink.