A US scientist has brewed up a storm by offering Britain advice on making tea

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — 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. The salt suggestion drew howls of outrage from tea-lovers in Britain. “Don’t even say the word ′salt′ to us…” the etiquette guide Debrett’s wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. The U.S. Embassy in London even intervened with a light-hearted social media post stressing that “adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy.”