An American scientist caused a “transatlantic storm over a cup of tea” by recommending the British favorite hot drink.
Bryn Mawr College chemistry professor Michelle Frankl said one of the secrets to the perfect cup of tea is a pinch of salt.
That advice is included in Frankl’s book, “Soaked: The Chemistry of Tea,” published this Wednesday by the Royal Society of Chemistry, reports the Associated Press (AP).
Not since the Boston Tea Party, the political protest in this North American city against British rule, have Anglo-American relations been so passionate.
The salt suggestion has sparked outrage among tea drinkers in Britain, where a popular stereotype views Americans as boorish coffee drinkers who brew their tea, if they brew it at all, in the microwave.
“Don’t even tell us the word ‘salt’…” wrote Debrett’s etiquette guide on social media site X.
The US Embassy in London intervened in the storm by posting on social media, assuring “the good people of the United Kingdom that the unthinkable idea of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official US policy.”
“Let us unite in our deep solidarity and show the world that when it comes to tea, we are united,” the publication quipped, adding: “The US Embassy will continue to prepare tea properly by placing it in the microwave.”
The embassy later clarified that its statement was a “light-hearted play on the shared cultural ties” between the two countries and not an official press release.
But the American book, on the contrary, is no joke. The result of three years of research and experimentation, the book explores more than 100 chemical compounds found in tea and, according to the publisher, “applies chemistry and provides advice on how to brew a better cup.”
Michelle Frankl says adding a small amount of salt—not enough to impart flavor—makes the tea less bitter because “the sodium ions in the salt block the bitter receptors in the mouth.”
The scientist also recommends brewing the tea in a preheated saucepan, shaking the bag quickly but vigorously, and serving it in a low, sturdy mug to retain heat.
Frankl says milk should be added to the cup after tea, not before—another issue that often divides infusion drinkers.
The author was surprised by the level of response to her book in the UK.
“I noticed there was a lot of interest in this. I didn’t know we would start a diplomatic conversation with the US embassy,” he told the AP.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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