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.”