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A US scientist has brewed up a storm by offering Britain advice on making tea (apnews.com)

submitted 9 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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An American scientist has sparked a trans-Atlantic tempest in a teapot by offering Britain advice on its favorite hot beverage.

Bryn Mawr College chemistry professor Michelle Francl says one of the keys to a perfect cup of tea is a pinch of salt. The tip is included in Francl’s book “Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea,” published Wednesday by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Not since the Boston Tea Party has mixing tea with salt water roiled the Anglo-American relationship so much.

The salt suggestion drew howls of outrage from tea-lovers in Britain, where popular stereotype sees Americans as coffee-swilling boors who make tea, if at all, in the microwave.

...

The U.S. Embassy in London intervened in the brewing storm with a social media post reassuring “the good people of the U.K. that the unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy.”

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[-] JoShmoe@ani.social 2 points 9 months ago

I like the idea of using molten salt to heat up the water and leaves.

[-] stoly@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Ironically the English don’t really know how to make tea. Then dump hot water on a tea bag then immediately throw on cold milk, making it impossible to actually brew.

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[-] EmergMemeHologram@startrek.website 2 points 9 months ago

What's wrong with the microwave? Heat is heat (except the 1995 movie which has little to do with heat or thermodynamics at all).

[-] SuzyQ@sh.itjust.works 2 points 9 months ago

Nothing. My two cents is just the microwave to heat up you water and add your tea of choice to steep afterwards.

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[-] MonkderZweite@feddit.ch 1 points 9 months ago

What about tea in the wave?

[-] sizzler@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

Do you even have a tea pot? Neanderthal.

[-] MonkderZweite@feddit.ch 1 points 9 months ago

[-] And009@lemmynsfw.com 1 points 9 months ago

I steam tea in a moka pot, am I doing it right?

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this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2024

198 points (91.2% liked)

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