In a new finding that may baffle any tea connoisseur, a professor in the UK is claiming that to make the most delicious brew of tea you might need to add the milk first.
Professor Alan Mackie, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition at Leeds University, has said those living in hard water areas should add the milk before the boiling water to improve the taste.
“Flavour by and large is produced by the different compounds in tea including tannins in particular,” he explains. “The more minerals present in water the more difficult it is for these compounds to develop the flavour – resulting in the dull cuppas you get in hard water areas.
“Making tea the traditional way – steeping a bag in hot water before removing it and adding milk – results in the tannins turning into solids before they can develop the flavour properly.
“But, if the milk is added at the start of the steeping process then its proteins can bind to the tannins and other minerals in the water -preventing them from turning solid – which in turn gives you a far superior flavour.”
The research was conducted by hot tap manufacturer INTU Boiling Water Taps with manager director Kieran Taylor-Bradshaw adding: “A decent cuppa brings joy and brightens the day, but for too many it remains a distant dream, with hard water to blame.
“But by enlisting the services of the nation’s foremost food scientist, at INTU we’re delighted to be able to bring an end to the misery that blights millions of lives.
“With more than three decades at the forefront of his field, Professor Mackie has an unrivalled understanding of the complex interplay of compounds that goes into producing flavour.”
Geez, that’s one way to put it.
