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Dive into an intriguing blend of chemistry and cultural tradition with “Tea Time Turmoil: An American Chemist’s Stir in England.” Discover how an American scientist’s unique take on brewing the perfect cup of tea brews up controversy and conversation in England. This lesson invites you to explore the fascinating intersection of science, tradition, and taste. Join us for a stirring journey into how small changes in a cherished ritual can cause quite the commotion!

An American chemist’s take on the perfect cup of tea causes a stir in England

Warm-Up Question: 

1. Have you ever tried a traditional beverage from another country that was prepared in an unusual way? What was your reaction?

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JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

Now to the United Kingdom, where a U.S. scientist’s book about tea is making quite a splash – or maybe more of a stir – or has it become a tempest in a teacup? From London, NPR’s Lauren Frayer reports on what one American wrote about Britain’s national drink and how it landed the U.S. embassy in hot water.

LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: Today was publication day for Michelle Francl, a chemistry professor at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. She thought her new book, called “Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea,” would be a modest little chemistry tome with crossover appeal…

MICHELLE FRANCL: Thinking about caffeine, thinking about the molecules that give it its beautiful aroma.

FRAYER: …Except there’s this one line.

FRANCL: Here’s the full book, and I’m going to look to see where I put the salt in.

FRAYER: For the perfect cup of tea, she advises warming the milk to reduce chances of curdling when it hits the water and adding a pinch of salt to make the tea less bitter. Now, to anyone who’s ever been in a relationship with a Brit or spent, like, five minutes in the U.K., that sounds like blasphemy.

VIC MINETT: This scientist reckons that the only way to have a decent cup of tea is with a pinch of salt.

MINETT: That’s what I said – lunacy.

TONI MCDONALD: It’ll be right. Hot milk and salt – who is this person?

FRAYER: Those are local talk radio hosts Vic Minett and Toni McDonald. They had on-air call-ins today from people like Jane Pettigrew, director of the UK Tea Academy, recipient of multiple World Tea Awards, and contributing editor of TeaTime Magazine.

JANE PETTIGREW: I’ve just made myself a cup of tea with some salt in it, and I have to say, I don’t like it much. It’s bizarre. It’s very…

FRAYER: It’s been 250 years since the last time Americans spoiled a whole lot of British tea with saltwater in Boston Harbor, so the U.S. Embassy in London scrambled to issue a statement today, calling tea the elixir of camaraderie, a sacred bond that unites our nations. Here’s the embassy public affairs officer, Rodney Ford.

RODNEY FORD: We want to assure the good people of the U.K. that the unthinkable notion of adding salt to Britain’s national drink is not official United States policy and never will be.

FRAYER: Except, as in Francl’s book, there’s this one little line at the end of the statement. The U.S. embassy will continue to make tea the proper way, it says, by microwaving it. Heads are exploding across these British isles tonight. And in case you didn’t catch this, the U.S. embassy staff have a sense of humor.

FRANCL: It mostly seems all within kind of good fun. People are taking it – I’m going to make a terrible pun again – a grain of salt.

FRAYER: As for the author, Francl, at the center of this whole brew-haha (ph)…

FRANCL: Well, my son lives in London, so now I’m worried – am I going to be able to visit him?

FRAYER: She’s pretty sure she’ll still be allowed into this country.

Vocabulary and Phrases:

1. Cause a stir: To create excitement, controversy, or a strong reaction among people.
2. Make a splash: To gain a lot of attention or become very popular quickly.
3. Tempest in a teacup: A lot of unnecessary worry and anger about a matter that is not important.
4. Landed in hot water: To be in trouble, often because of something one has said or done.
5. Crossover appeal: The ability to attract a diverse range of people or to be popular in different areas.
6. Blasphemy: The act of showing disrespect or lack of reverence for something considered sacred or very important.
7. Reckon: To believe, think, or be of the opinion.
8. Lunacy: Extreme foolishness or an insane act.
9. Bizarre: Very strange or unusual.
10. Scrambled: Acted quickly and often confusedly, especially to fix a problem.
11. Take it with a grain of salt: To not take something too seriously; to view something with skepticism.
12. Pun: A joke using the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the title of Michelle Francl’s book and its primary subject?
2. What controversial suggestion did Francl make about making tea, and why is it considered unusual in the U.K.?
3. How did local talk radio hosts and a tea expert react to Francl’s tea-making advice?
4. What was the U.S. Embassy’s humorous response to the controversy caused by Francl’s book?
5. What pun did Francl use to describe the reaction to her tea-making advice?

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think adding unusual ingredients to traditional recipes, like salt in tea, is innovative or disrespectful? Why?
2. Have you ever encountered a cultural difference in food or drink that surprised you? Share your experience.
3. What do you think about the U.S. Embassy’s humorous response to the controversy? Do you think humor is a good way to handle misunderstandings?
4. Discuss a time when you tried changing a traditional recipe. How did it turn out, and what was the reaction of others?
5. Why do you think people are often so passionate about traditional ways of preparing food and drinks?