DogMa > wrote:
>
>My point was that those whose tap water is too pure to make good tea
>don't have to bring home a lot of spring water with a slight mineral
>content. Instead, a small addition of "mineral water" may work just as
>well - even if added to brewed tea (rather than the kettle). The
>preamble was to suggest a mechanism: flavor potentiation, rather than an
> effect on the chemistry of extraction.

I think the effect you describe is very clear and has been documented
a lot in the last hundred years or so. You can read what Escoffier says
about how table salt affects other flavours besides just saltiness.

Try a pinch of baking powder, sea salt, or Burton Water Salts.

Also note that tea made with deionized water is pretty insipid. I tried
that once or twice here (my office has very nasty-tasting water but we
have a supply of distilled water).
--scott
(who misses Vichy water)

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."