As an American (and filthy microwaver of tea, though I do have a kettle now) I just stopped scrolling in the hopes of witnessing some rage at the idea, but everyone's being really reasonable. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.
this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2024
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Dude, I've been experimenting with different mixes of ginger and cinnamon. People obsess about water temperatures. Tea drinkers like nothing but ideas for more posh things to do to their drinks. "Pinch of salt" is just snobby enough that I can't wait to try it and tell it to all my friends next time I'm complaining about a lackluster café order.
The big issue I see, and it's a PR thing, is it coming from the US. That alone may disqualify it. We'll have to see.
As a Brit this is genuinely the exact opposite of how most tea drinkers are here. The less shit you do to it the better is the general view.
So... milk is out, then?
Don't be ridiculous.
I'm an American. I drink a lot of tea throughout the day. Different kinds for breakfast, midmorning, lunch and mid afternoon. I've never had a tea I thought would be improved with milk. I just don't get it.
That's because you're American. Don't feel bad.
I don't even know what some people call "tea" in this context sometimes. It could be they're having Ceylon in the morning and Earl Gray in the afternoon, but sometimes what they mean is they're soaking some weeds in the morning and some dry fruits in the afternoon and calling it tea. I lived in a place for a while where all infusions are referred to with the word for "tea", so you'd ask for cup of tea, be given a camomile infusion and be expected not to murder your host.
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Oh, yeah, I know. Brits will just throw a bag of the crappiest tea they have around in a teapot and move on with their day.
Which is a luxury you can afford when even middling supermarket tea is drinkable. Over where I am if you're doing tea you have an... affectation. Plus even if you don't want to, finding drinkable tea is hard enough that you end up going to the fancy stuff by default.
Yeah I literally take tea bags on holiday haha just not the same elsewhere
Yeah we're not exactly known for our tea here, unless it's in a harbor or so full of sugar it's not even really tea anymore, so I can see it not going over that well. I just made a cup but it's one of my favorite kinds and I'm too afraid to try the salt in case it ruins it.
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Temperature is a state function. It is completely irrelevant if you boil or microwave you water.
We will continue to microwave because science
Does your microwave have an in-built thermometer which stops the heating at the right temperature like a kettle?
Most Americans don't get kettles with temp settings because we're fucking plebs. Ask an American what they think a kettle is and 7 times out of 10 they'll say it's a busted, dented piece of metal with a strange flippy lid that their mom used to put on the stovetop for some reason.
I mean, I'm not. I have one with 6 different temps on it. Because tea is serious business. But most Americans, you know. 😂
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I've read that water oxygenation is affected by microwaving water, so there is some difference to standard boiling. Whether this matters for tea or not is a different question, and I can't find anything decisive on the matter.
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To be honest, the microwave thing outrages me far more than the salt thing.
But why? The water will be hot either way. Who cares how it gets that way?
I've tried it. It tasted weird and I felt like I'd committed a crime.
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I suspect that's some sloppy writing. I think we are being cautioned against microwaving the water with the teabag in
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Microwaves don't hurt the water any.
Microwave tea?!?!?!?!?
No, microwave water to make tea.
shudders
What's wrong with the kettle? Or are they not commonplace in the states?
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The world is in a bad place - war, famine, climate change and now this fucker is trying to start WWIII.
Scientifically it makes sense.
But I'd rather take a walking holiday in Milton Keynes than do it.
"rather take a walking holiday in Milton Keynes"
Nice, I'm stealing this one
I can imagine living in a world where this is the top point of conflict across the globe. No wars, no famine, no climate change, no oppression... Just, "can you believe this twat saying we should put salt in tea!?!"
"I have had better cups of tea at service stations in Ireland than I have had at fancy restaurants in the US."
Ha, burn.
Well if nobody else is brave enough to try it, I'll give it a go in the morning and report back. Never let it be said that I shy away from a good bit of sciencing!
I'll be trying too. Bare in mind that they are suggesting it removes bitterness in particularly stewed tea
My attempt was underwhelming, how about yours?
Well that's embarrassing. I forgot, and I'm sitting here with a cup of tea.
...
2 minutes later... as you say .... 'meh'
...Okay tomorrow at work I will give it a go. If salt makes tea taste better I will be so mad!
Edit: Well that ruined it. It does get rid of that slight bitterness. I liked that bitterness
Why would you want to take away the tiny bit of bitterness that tea has?
Right. Tea is supposed to be bitter.
Try adding sugar to your gin and tonic to remove the lemon flavour...
Hey you guys. I heard that liking bitter stuff means you're much more likely to be a sociopath.
I tried it. It did seem to work. I will try a few more times and record whether I detect bitterness or not. Ideally I would conduct a blind taste test but I don't want to change my ritual too much.
Damnit. Now the Royal Navy in on the way to dump our tea in Boston Harbor.
Funny enough, a pinch a salt in coffee is a US Navy thing. Tried it, but must have overdone it.
That article was actually more amusing and informative than I was expecting!
This actually makes sense. I might be able to enjoy tea with this trick, rather than just feeling like I am drinking the remnants of some other drink.
"We want to ensure 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 said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Getting ahead of a diplomatic crisis. Good idea.
Ha ha ha ha. No.
and coffee
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