Finally, Wu Tingfang, who served as Minister to the U.S. under the Qing Dynasty, wrote in 1900, ‘”we would regard with horror the suggestion that we should add anything to the contents of our teapots beyond hot water and tea. Imagine putting rum in teas, as I am told is sometimes done here [in the States] as is said to be a common practice in Russia! A cultured taste revolts from the thought.” (Tingfang)

We prefer the water we drink at a certain temperature, and at times, we have a laugh at the expense of someone who prefers it hotter or colder. It is impossible to say how to best drink water without a fair degree of cultural bias, and so we turn to science for answers. 

In research on rats, the critters invariably prefer to drink warm water. In fact, rats will drink more water if the water is warm (Steiner). Another study focused on rats drinking cool water concludes, “that experience, rather than any innate tendency, is the basis for the usual preference of rats for cooler water.” (Deaux). Perhaps all creatures naturally prefer warm water, but can learn to enjoy cold water as well. Americans must just be taught to like iced water! But humans aren’t rats. 

In humans, the temperature of the water we drink can have correlating physiological responses. Hot water encourages blood vessels in the skin to dilate and the skin’s surface temperature to rise. This results from the bodies physical response to the hot water and not the water itself as one study states, “the observed increase in skin temperature of 1.7°C is dramatic relative to the thermal load caused by the drink which would be expected to increase core temperature by < 0.1°C.” (Quinlan, 171) Meanwhile drinking iced water can literally change our heart’s beat by interfering with T-waves (Becker). To say that the temperature of the water does not matter is false, but the benefit or drawback of either one remains unclear. 

In addition to affecting our bodies differently, the temperature of water also affects how we taste. When we drink hot or cold water with a meal, the temperature of our tongue changes, or the temperature of the food we are consuming can vary. The intensity of salty and sweet flavors increases if we eat something after having drunk hot water (Mony). Conversely, the desire to drink pure water decreases as the temperature increases—but perhaps the study making this conclusion was only conducted on ice-water Americans (Cardello). 

The science tells us some things, but does not quench our thirst entirely. It is interesting to know what hot water and cold water might do to our bodies and why our bodies might prefer one over the other. Hot or cold, one is not inherently better than the other. Each can have its benefits given context and culture. It seems the Europeans have taken the diplomatic approach to hydration and just let their water be. Anyways, what is important is to stay hydrated.