"Hi, i'd like a cup of ice tea with no ice please."
"Sorry, what do you want?" the staff asked as she looked at me with a quirky confused face.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"You want a cup of ice tea without ice???"
Ok, i'll admit, the person who wants the ice tea without ice is me..
I went to a very popular Vietnamese restaurant called PHO on a very cold winter day in London, and I ordered a cup of ice coffee. As soon as it arrived, I took out all the ice. This behaviour seems very odd in Western countries but it's very normal in China..
Another day, whilst me and my friends were having afternoon tea, my friend asked the waiter for two cups of hot water. A lady came and asked us to explain to her why Chinese people love hot water? How can they drink almost boiling hot water? After explaining the reason to her, my friend asked her a rhetorical question.. Why do western people drink cold drinks even when the temperature is below zero, even snowing ? Don't they feel cold and uncomfortable in the stomach?
Dear Steemit friends, by now you must have noticed the differences in attitudes and preferences towards diets between the east and west. In the west, people like ice cold drinks, cold food such as salads and sandwiches. Asians however, can have hot water and hot food at any time of the year. Let's discover the reason why.
Because they love their habit
It comes from different tastes and dietary habits. In Western countries, many people think hot or warm water is tasteless. They would prefer hot coffee or hot tea. One of my friends told me that in her company, the water dispenser only has hot water and cold water so she mixes them. To her foreign colleagues, it was very curious.
In Chinese restaurants they usually serve hot tea or hot water on the table
Hot water is regarded highly in China, some people even say that hot water can treat all illnesses.
A: I have a cold.
B: You should drink hot water.
A: I have a toothache.
B: You should drink some hot water.
A: I have a headache.
B: You should drink hot water.
Hot water seems to be like a magical medicine.
Historical origin：
1.China is the homeland of Tea. It originated from the Yan Emperor some 6000 years ago. Before the Ming dynasty, they used cold water to make tea. It was only after that they started to use boiled water to make tea.
To this day, soups, and traditional Chinese medicine all use hot water. Even alcohol is sometimes served warm. It has become the people's habit.
2.Ancestors used pottery to heat water. At the time, pottery in other countries were only used as vessels, not to boil water. They didn't develop the habit of drinking hot water.
Theory of traditional Chinese medicine：
The theory of traditional Chinese medicine consists of the Yin and Yang, two opposing principles in nature. Water nourishes Yin, whilst hot water warms yang. Yang is considered the fundamental energy of all things in the world, if one hopes to be healthy and live long, they must keep the yang warm with hot water. On the contrary, cold water lowers the temperature of the visceral body and increases the chances of getting cold and ill.
Chinese people like to take thermal mugs with them when they go abroad. Some even refuse to have drinks on the plane, they would rather use the hot water from their thermal mugs.
From my perspective, most Chinese people believe hot water will keep the stomach and body warm, but in my opinion this has little consequence on overall health. Some Chinese girls will only drink water during their period to help relieve abdomen pain, recover the blood, and help keep the blood viscous. In the morning, they will drink warm water with honey. Honey has vitamins which help to keep the skin soft and moisten the lungs. In the summer, it can help to relieve the summer-heat. My friends in foreign countries eat ice-cream at any time of the year, and they all seem very healthy.
Water quality：
Western countries have made significant effort to protect the environment and develop the water industries. However, in China, the water is still not drinkable from the tap. This is largely due to the pollution which has degraded the water quality. Boiling water will kill a lot of harmful bacteria and other micro-organisms.
Hope you enjoyed discovering the secrets to why Chinese people love to drink hot water. Does people from your country drink hot water as well? Let me know in the comments!
Source(1,2,3,4,5,6.)
你好，我要一杯冰咖啡不加冰？对不起，您要什么，冰咖啡不加冰？我没听错吧...整个餐厅的店员笑了起来，满满投过来不能理解的眼神。好吧，我承认这个喝冰咖啡不加冰的人是我。在伦敦的冬天天气好冷，我走进一家叫做PHO的越南餐厅，点了一杯冰咖啡，默默地把杯子里的冰块取出...这个举动在国外，一定被视为异类，而在亚洲确实很平常的事情...另一天，我和朋友在一家餐厅吃下午茶，她叫来店员，问可不可以要2杯热水。边上一位英国妇人好奇的坐到我们身边：你可以告诉我，为什么中国人喜欢和热水，那么烫怎么喝的下去呢，我一直很好奇... 亲爱的Steemit朋友们，不知道你们有没有这个奇妙的差异呢，西方的饮食里人们酷爱冰水和凉食，例如沙拉和三明治，而在亚洲人的生活习惯里，人们离不开热水和热食。今天我们就来一起探讨一下，为什么西方人喜欢冰饮而亚洲人酷爱热食吧。 源于喜欢和习惯: 冰水和热水的差异源于口感和中西方饮食习惯的差异，在国外，很多人认为热水和温水实际上是没有味道的，很难喝。只有把热水变为热咖啡或者热水泡茶，他们才能够接受喝热的饮料。 历史根源： 中国是茶的故乡，茶文化起源于6000年前的炎帝时期，明代以前多是冷水撵茶，明代以后普遍流行喝热水泡的茶，一直到现在，煲汤，煮中药用热水，喝酒有时候用热水温酒，热水成了人们的习惯。祖先们把陶器当作加热器皿的广泛使用。当时同时期的陶器只能盛器，并没有煮水功能，自然没有发展出饮用热水的习惯。中医理论：传统中医理论，讲究阴阳。水可以滋阴，热能温阳，而阳气为万物根本。因此如果希望健康长寿，必须要温阳。相反冰水降低内脏的温度，寒气入体，容易感冒。 水质问题：西方人非常重视环境的保护和一个城市水的发展。而中国至今仍然没有健全的城市直饮水系统，环境污染影响水质，加热后可以杀死很多有害的微生物。
If you are interested in my other blogs related to Culture Exchange please check out these other blogs below^^
The Anti-social way of Socializing in Asia.Romance in the eyes of Western and Asian People #1
Why you don't see Chinese girls wearing Bikini's at the beach?
Standing at the crossroads of different cultures: Relationships (Guan Xi)
Lost in Translation - Filial Piety
A primer to the etiquette of dining.
The Anti-social way of Socializing in Asia Part 2. —— Why Asian people enjoy having dinner in a private room?
