Tea advice leaves a bad taste - 12th February 2024

Diplomatic relations between the USA and the UK nearly reached boiling point over a new book on brewing the perfect cuppa. “Steeped: The chemistry of tea”, by American chemistry professor Michelle Francl, lifts the lid on the science of tea making, stating that adding salt to the brew creates a more balanced flavour.

This approach raised eyebrows with British tea drinkers, who observe strict tea making habits. The water must be boiled in a kettle, the tea must be black, and the leaves must be left to brew in boiling hot water for three minutes. After this, a splash of milk is added, with an optional teaspoon or two of sugar depending on individual tastes.

Sensing diplomatic trouble brewing, the US Embassy in London was forced to release a statement to calm this political storm in a teacup. “We want to ensure the good people of the UK that the unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy. And never will be,” it said.

The statement ended by joking “The US Embassy will continue to make tea in the proper way - by microwaving it.”

The UK government was swift to state that the only correct way was to use a kettle.

Historic parallels were drawn with the infamous Boston Tea Party of 1773, when American colonists dumped a shipment of 340 chests of tea – worth $1.7 million today – into the harbour. Protesting against the Tea Tax, the event grew support for the revolutionary movement and saw the Declaration of Independence signed three years later.

Tea actually reached Britain via Portugal, which traded heavily with China. King Charles II’s wife, Queen Catherine, brought the beverage to London from her homeland.

Current objections are really a matter of individual preference. People in Central Asian cultures have been adding salt to tea for centuries.