Two hundred and fifty years after American revolutionaries dumped tea into Boston Harbor, a fresh diplomatic storm is brewing between Britain and the United States over the cherished beverage.

Britain’s media has reacted with fury and bewilderment after a U.S. scientist claimed the perfect cup of tea is made with a pinch of added salt.

Michelle Francl, who has written a book on the molecular science behind a good cuppa, believes the addition is needed to reduce the bitterness of the drink.

But the suggestion has led to a heated response on social media from Brits, who are notoriously possessive over their perceptions of best brewing practice.

“I guess we are going to war again?” legal journalist Molly Quell wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “What is going on over there?” asked British comedian Matt Green.

Francl, a chemistry professor at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, defended her seemingly radical idea, claiming: “It turns out that a tiny amount of salt, not enough to even taste, blocks the perception of bitterness.”

As transatlantic tensions reached a boiling point, the U.S. Embassy in the UK intervened to distance themselves from the seemingly extremist idea, dunking the professor back into hot water.

“We cannot stand idly by as such an outrageous proposal threatens the very foundation of our Special Relationship,” the embassy wrote in a viral X post.

“We want to ensure the good people of the U.K. that the unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official Unites States policy. And never will be,” it added.

Francl also found little sympathy in the British press, which took her suggestion with more than a pinch of salt.

“A scientist from the country where you can find tea being made with lukewarm water from the tap claims to have found the recipe for a perfect cuppa,” the Guardian reported.

“Professor Francl insisted her findings were solid, despite coming from a country where tea plays second fiddle to coffee — and is usually served iced,” the Daily Mail added.

Amid such heated debate, perhaps only time will tell if the U.S. Embassy’s response will be enough to calm the waters. In the meantime, the embassy said it “will continue to make tea in the proper way — by microwaving it.”

(SD-Agencies)

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【半信半疑】bànxìn bànyí with a pinch of salt without completely believing, skeptically

【平息事态】píngxī shìtài calm the waters soothe or restore peace to a contentious, volatile, or turbulent situation

美国革命者将茶叶倒进波士顿港250年后，英美两国间因为这一珍贵的饮品正酝酿一场新的外交风暴。

美国科学家说，泡一杯完美的茶要加一小撮盐，对此英国媒体感到愤怒而困惑。

米歇尔•弗朗克写了一本书，解析一杯好茶背后的分子科学，她认为加点盐能淡化茶的苦味。

但这个建议在社交媒体上引起了英国人的激烈反应，因为英国人对最佳喝茶方法是出了名的有执念。

法律记者莫莉•奎尔在社交平台X

（前身为推特）上问：“我看咱们又要开战了？”然后，英国喜剧演员马特•格林问：“到底出了什么事？”

宾夕法尼亚州布林莫尔学院的化学教授弗朗克为自己看似激进的想法辩护，她说：“事实证明，微量的盐，甚至少到尝不出来，就能阻断人们对苦味的感知。”

当这场横跨大西洋的纷争达到沸点时，美国驻英国大使馆出面了，主动和这个看似异类的建议划清界限，对弗朗克教授落井下石。美国大使馆在X平台上发了一个帖子，被用户疯狂转发。其中写道：“我们不能对这种威胁到英美特别伙伴关系根基的过分建议袖手旁观。”

“我们向善良的英国人民保证，在英国国饮中加盐这一匪夷所思的想法不是美国的官方态度，永远都不可能是。”

英国媒体也丝毫不同情弗朗克，对她的建议不以为然。

英国《卫报》说：“一位科学家声称已经找到了完美茶饮的秘诀，在她的国家，人们用温吞的自来水泡茶。”《每日邮报》补充说：“弗朗克教授坚持认为她的发现是可靠的，尽管在她的家乡，茶和咖啡相比不那么重要，而且通常还是冰着喝的。”

争论如此激烈，美国大使馆的回应是否足以平息事态，也许只有时间能给出答案。大使馆还表示“将继续用正确的方式泡茶 —— 使用微波炉加热”。(Translated by Debra)