The chemist who told us to put salt in our tea explains why she did it

After causing an international incident by suggesting that adding salt to your cup of tea will improve it, chemist Michelle Francl says it’s great to see everyone talking about chemistry.

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The chemist who told us to put salt in our tea explains why she did it
After causing an international incident by suggesting that adding salt to your cup of tea will improve it, chemist Michelle Francl says it’s great to see everyone talking about chemistry

By Michelle Francl

26 January 2024

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But where’s the salt?

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Chemistry is a field like few others, placing a huge emphasis on the importance of reactions in the pursuit of a scientifically sound outcome. However, even after working in this discipline for nearly four decades, nothing could have prepared me for the reaction this week.

Before publication, I thought that my new book, Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, might attract some public attention – after all, billions of people around the world love a cuppa, including those from the US, like me. But I hadn’t anticipated brewing up a firestorm that would rage across the Atlantic Ocean – all because of a few grains of salt.

While it might seem outlandish, the idea of adding a pinch of salt to tea in order to reduce the bitterness is rooted in science. Sodium ion is a key element of salt, and it interacts with the chemical mechanism that produces the perception of a bitter taste.

The British people’s love of tea warms my heart like the contents of my favourite mug. That’s a truly special relationship and one steeped in so much history. Needless to say, I didn’t intend to start possibly the biggest beverage bust-up since my compatriots went overboard in Boston 250 years ago – though I have truly enjoyed some of the responses to this global storm in a teacup.