US Embassy in London steps in after American boffin says add salt to cup of tea
The US Embassy in London has issued a hilarious apology on behalf of an American scientist who suggested adding a bit of salt to a cup of tea —a seemingly small piece of advice that has outraged Brits.
Michelle Francl, who is a chemistry professor at Bryn Mawr College, said she drew her conclusion after analysing dozens of research papers and 1,000-year-old texts. However, the residents of Great Britain were having none of it, including officials of the US Embassy in London who said Michelle's radical idea would "threaten the very foundation of our special relationship" with Britain in a statement.
The US Embassy swiftly distanced itself from Michelle through a post on X, formerly Twitter. "Today’s media reports of an American professor’s recipe for the perfect cup of tea has landed our special bond with the United Kingdom in hot water,” officials said. Michelle's other idea, which is considered crazy but hasn't received as much backlash, was to steep your teabag quickly by dunking and squeezing it.
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Michelle Francl said her suggestion is backed by extensive research (Getty Images)The new theory was publicised online as the scientist released her new book on the topic. She claims sodium helps block a chemical reaction that gives tea a bitter taste and that her teabag suggestions helps reduce "sour-tasting tannins."
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Despite the harsh criticism, Michelle hasn't backed down on her research-based suggestion. The professor said she's always been a tea drinker, even though she hails from the Midwest, which is "deep coffee-drinking country," according to her. Her interest in the topic stemmed from her frustration with trying to find a good cup of tea in the US, outright calling the experience "horrific."
She claims sodium helps block a chemical reaction that gives tea a bitter taste (Getty Images/iStockphoto)She cited her extensive background in chemistry as evidence her theory is credible. "After all these years of drinking tea and researching chemistry, I learned new things about what is in my cup and how to make the very best cup of tea," she asserted. Brits still swatted her suggestions, personal anecdotes, scientific merits and research, essentially writing the entire idea off as a joke.
Officials of the US Embassy maintained their position on the matter, sandbagging Michelle's work along the way. “Tea is the elixir of camaraderie, a sacred bond that unites our nations. We cannot stand idly by as such an outrageous proposal threatens the very foundation of our special relationship," it said. "Therefore we want to assure 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.”
The Embassy appeared to have some fun with the matter as well, appearing to troll angry Brits by saying the "proper" way to make a cup of tea is to microwave it.
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