Dr Michelle Francl, a chemistry professor from the USA, triggered a tornado in a tea cup between the US and the UK on whether salt has any place in a perfect cup of tea. In a now-viral recipe from her book Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, Dr Francl suggested adding a pinch of salt to tea.
She claimed that adding a pinch in tea helps “reduce the bitterness”. The professor also suggested that one should add warm milk to tea after pouring it to reduce any chances of curdling. The USA professor also noted that a short and stout mug should be used for drinking tea, while adding Brits should opt for leaves instead of teabags.
She also said that squeezing lemon juice into tea is a good idea to get rid of the “scum” that sometimes appears on the surface as chemicals elements in the tea and water get mixed. Dr Francl added after years of drinking tea and researching chemistry, she learnt more about the ingredients of tea and how to make the perfect cuppa.
“You get some awful cups of tea in the US. It’s horrific… I grew up in the midwest, which is a deep coffee-drinking country, but tea has always been my preferred drink- and I have invested a lot of time into studying it,” the professor was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
Soon after the video went viral, it triggered a war between the Americans and the Brits over the perfect cup of tea. It even prompted the US Embassy in London to note, “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.”
The statement further said that the “unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy. And never will be.” The US Embassy also said that the Americans will continue to make tea by microwaving it.
In response, the Cabinet Office of the UK government said, “We appreciate our Special Relationship, however, we must disagree wholeheartedly… Tea must only be made using a kettle.” In Britain, tea is usually made in a kettle, something that is not as popular in the States.
While salt might or might not have its place in the British tea, does it have a place in desi chai? There are several places in India where salt is added to tea. People living in the colder and mountaineous regions of the country such as Kashmir valley and Ladakh generally add salt to tea. Tibetan Butter Tea is one such example as it is made by boiling tea with baking soda and salt in a tea urn.
Following this, a large lump of butter, churned in a wooden apparatus and the milk is usually yak milk, is added. Butter is added in this tea to prevent one’s lips from getting dry and chapped in cold weather whereas salt is added to enhance the taste.
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