Tea-loving Brits hit back after US embassy in London suggests the proper way to make tea is in the microwave hours after American scientist advised adding a pinch of salt as new tea wars brew

Just over 250 years after American patriots sank barrels of tea in Boston Harbor to protest King George’s tax policies, a new tea war is looming that could threaten the special relationship.

This week, Professor Michelle Francl, professor of chemistry at Bryn Mawr College, told DailyMail.com about her bizarre methodology for the ‘perfect cup of tea’.

The outrage from tea-loving Brits prompted a response from the US embassy in London in an attempt to ease simmering tensions.

The brief statement notes that it is not part of Joe Biden’s foreign policy to encourage the British people to add salt to their tea. The closing remarks in the press release are likely to spark even more outrage.

“The U.S. Embassy will continue to make tea the right way: by microwaving it.”

The original methodology put forward by Professor Francl involved preheating a mug, using a short and sturdy container, using leaves instead of bags, adding warm milk to reduce curdling, a pinch of salt to reducing the bitterness and finally not reusing the leaves.

During the historic Boston Tea Party, protesting “taxation without representation,” members of the Sons of Liberty and others boarded East India Co. ships. Boston Harbor.

Britain responded with military rule and other sanctions against Massachusetts, fueling American resistance to colonial rule.

The Boston Tea Party is considered a pivotal event that sparked the American Revolutionary War.

The latest escalation in tensions over tea led some social media users to recall horror stories of being served microwaved tea.

‘My roommate used to put a Lipton tea bag in a mug of tap water and microwave it. Not sure if he was trying to hurt me or himself,” someone else wrote.

“Remember visiting friends of friends in Chicago. They offered to make me a cup of tea but backed down saying they couldn’t confirm if the microwave was kosher. I still haven’t recovered; as if my concern were the kashrut status of the microwave and not the lack of a kettle,” wrote another.

Typhoo Tea referred to the Boston Tea Party in its response.

“The tea would be better dumped in Boston Harbor than a microwave.”

The latest escalation in tensions over tea prompted some social media users to have their say

It is deeply woven into the fabric of British culture. But now a US scientist claims to have discovered the secrets of a perfect cuppa

Others were more clear in expressing their disgust.

‘Tea in a microwave? RANCID.’

‘Who gave the kids the x account……microwave tea?! That’s what I want from the world,” someone else said.

Another responded to the embassy’s statement. “Funny, but seriously, who the F makes tea with a microwave?” they said.

While another wrote: “And that, ladies and gentlemen, is American diplomacy in 2024.”

Professor Francl’s research, which she has documented in a new book called Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, has also found that the aroma of tea is almost as important as its taste. So if you drink from a takeaway cup, it’s best to remove the lid.

Larger tea bags have been found to work better because they allow the tea leaves to move, keeping them in contact with the water.

Caffeine-free tea can be made by steeping a tea bag for 30 seconds, removing it and discarding the liquid, then adding fresh water and brewing again for five minutes.

After water, tea is the most consumed beverage worldwide, and people have been obsessed with the perfect way to brew it for hundreds of years.

A Chinese mystic from the Tang Dynasty says that tea, perfectly prepared, has the power to elevate one “to the realms of the unshakable gods.”

Professor Francl believes its enduring appeal comes from the unique aromatic experience and rich flavor profile it offers, along with its caffeine content.

“Tea is a cultural touchstone in Britain but is consumed all over the world,” she said.

“Even after all these years of drinking tea and researching chemistry, I’ve learned new things about what’s in my cup and how to make the very best cup of tea.”