How hot is piping hot in food my son says piping hot food should never be served and I love piping hot food?

Answer 1

'Piping hot' is an old English phrase going back to at least the late 1300s; it simply means 'very hot'.

The phrase refers to the sound made by extremely hot food, the 'singing' noise, as though of air whistling through pipes, especially in the sense of a musical instrument.

Your son might mean to say boiling foods shouldn't be brought to the table, and he's perfectly correct. Commonsense applies here, as in all things.

All foods intended to be served hot should be served very hot. You obviously wouldn't bring foods to the table when they're actually boiling, since that'd risk the safety of both diners and of the person serving, but the food should still be hot when it's placed on the table.

When food is served very hot, guests should always be warned immediately, before the food is set down. Provided they're aware they need to allow it to cool a little, it's preferable to have hot food served hot so that guests can eat it at a comfortable but appropriate temperature than to wait until food is lukewarm before taking it to the table.

It goes without saying that children and anyone with a relevant disability should be watched very carefully when piping hot foods are served, and assisted where appropriate; let their serves cool a little beforehand, so they are past the point of being dangerous when served.

And never, ever, offer a cup or other container of very hot food or liquid into the hand of another person; this is a truly foolish thing to do, and results in many injuries. Hot liquids burn skin, just as fire does.