科學家發現用微波爐確實能泡出最好喝的茶

Outrage across the UK after Broadchurchcharacter made his tea in a microwave might be misplaced, Australian researchersays, but does it pass the taste test?
澳大利亞研究者說，英國人不應該對《小鎮疑雲》中的角色用微波爐泡茶感到義憤填膺。但是這樣泡茶的味道能夠通過測試麼？

The kettle’s days could be ograph: Alamy Stock Photo
茶壺剩下的日子不多了，圖片：Alamy Stock Photo

When DI Hardy, played by David Tennant,made a cup of tea in the microwave during an episode of Broadchurch in March, muchof Britain was horrified.
在3月播出的一集《小鎮疑雲》中，大衛·田納特飾演的警探哈迪把一杯茶放進微波爐里加熱，這一幕讓英國觀衆感到震驚。

But it seems that the highly unorthodoxmethod of making a cuppa could result in the best and healthiest brew.
但這一似乎極其異端的方法實際上能泡出最好喝最健康的茶。

Research by an Australian scientist hasfound that using a microwave to make tea activated 80% of the caffeine,theanine and antioxidant compounds – properties that are linked to lowercardiovascular disease and cholesterol, hypertension and diabetes.
澳大利亞科學家發現使用微波爐加熱時能夠激活80%的咖啡因、茶氨酸和抗氧化物質——這些化合物能夠降低患心血管疾病、膽固醇、高血壓和糖尿病的風險。

Crucially, the unusual method also generatedthe best taste, he found.
最重要的是，科學家發現這種不尋常的泡茶方法能夠產生最好的味道。

“Microwavingis one of the advanced technologies to get more bioactive compounds from theproducts,” Dr Quan Vuong toldthe ABC.
“微波是一種先進科技，可以從產物中提取到更多生物活性化合物，”Quan Vuong博士告訴ABC。

The exact method he used was this:
他使用的提取手段是這樣的：

1. Put hot water in the cup with yourteabag.
1. 倒一杯熱水，把茶包浸入水中。

2. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds onhalf power.
2. 把茶杯放入微波爐，用中檔火力加熱30秒。

3. Let it sit for a minute.
3. 加熱完畢後再等一分鐘。

Vuong found that the health benefits weregreatest when drinking three cups of tea a day. Using bags or loose leaf tealed to the same result.
Vuong發現一天喝三杯茶對健康最有益，用茶包或茶葉泡出的茶效果都是一樣的。

His research, which was conducted in 2012at the University of Newcastle, has sparked fierce debate on social media, withmany tea-lovers unable to accept the results.
Vuong的研究成果在2012年誕生於紐卡斯爾大學，並在社交媒體上激起了尖銳的爭論，很多愛喝茶的人都不能接受這一理論。

In the interest of balance, the Guardiandecided to put the microwave method to the test.
爲了維護平衡，《衛報》決定試驗這一微波爐泡茶法。

In a blind tasting, we sampled cups ofEnglish Breakfast tea made using the usual kettle method and then brewed in themicrowave as stipulated by Vuong.
在盲測中，我們提供了用傳統茶壺法泡出的英國早餐茶，以及Vuong研究出的微波爐茶。

No surprise that, we both preferred thetraditional method.
毫不出乎意料，我們都喜歡傳統方法。

Bonnie Malkin and Bridie Jabour testing cupsof tea at Guardian Australia. Photograph: Jonny Weeks for the Guardian
Bonnie Malkin和BridieJabour在《衛報》澳大利亞分社品茶。

“The real tea was much nicer by miles,” myco-taster, Bridie Jabour, said.
“真正的茶的味道要好出幾十條街，”跟我一同參加品茶試驗的Bridie Jabour說。

“I take my tea black but there was almost acreamier quality and it had a more complex flavour. I felt I was enjoying allthe notes in tea that were on offer, while the microwave tea seemed to lose alot of its tea-ness to be almost tea flavoured water,” she said.
“我的茶泡得有點濃，但是它幾乎像奶油一樣順滑，味道更加豐富。我覺得我在享受茶裏所有的風味，而微波爐茶似乎太沒有茶味了，不如說它更像帶茶味的水，”她說。

“The microwave tea tasted quite thin, notquite weak but there was no robust flavour there.”
“微波爐泡的茶味道太淡，雖然不是淡到過分，但是沒有一種濃厚的風味在裏面。”

I felt the normal tea was simply hotter,richer and far better.
我發現傳統方法泡的茶更熱，味道更醇，更好喝。

I don’t know about the physical healthbenefits, but I felt a bit depressed drinking the microwave one.
我不知道微波爐茶的健康功效，我只是在喝它的時候有點沮喪。

While the science may be in, it is unlikelyto be the end of a debate that has raged through the ages.
儘管科學也加入到其中，但似乎並不能終結關於泡茶方法的貫穿古今的爭論。

“The best manner of making tea is thesubject of violent disputes,” George Orwell wrote in his essay on how tomake the perfect cup in 1946 - thesame year the microwave was invented.
“最好的泡茶方法一直是激烈爭論的主題，”喬治·奧威爾1946年在一篇關於如何泡出好茶的文章裏寫道——就在那一年人類發明了微波爐。