LONDON — It was an innocent little detail, backed by centuries of science, in a chemistry book about tea. Something American author Michelle Francl never anticipated would cause a stir, or a brewhaha — and land the U.S. Embassy in hot water.
Researching her new book, Steeped: The Chemistry of Tea, Francl analyzed caffeine levels and studied the molecules that give tea its aroma. She uncovered the little-known presence in tea of other chemicals, including fluoride and aluminum. And she pored over an 8th century Chinese manuscript that called for salt to be added to the boiling water.
