Originally Posted by
Loren Pechtel
Tea has to be boiled to make it!
Most soup is cooked.
I do think you're being a bit paranoid, though--things fresh off the stove are safe unless the utensils are contaminated.
Actually, not all teas are steeped with water hot enough to reach a rolling boil (good example: some of the young green teas, which steep at lower temperatures). Nor are all soups prepared at a rolling boil, thus my concern.
Paranoia? Yes. Got reeeeeeally sick from ice cubes in Beijing that I didn't stop to thing about until after the fact. Once you've been down that path, well...doesn't take much to tempt "paranoia" when planning future trips.
Originally Posted by
taipeipeter
The water in Taipei is safe enough. Just on general principles of water that is "foreign" to your system, you should avoid gulping it from the tap, but for tea, soup, teeth-brushing etc., it's fine. I'm a little more distrustful of water in some of the smaller towns. Every 7-11 (there's one on every block) will have a stupendous variety of water for sale at modest prices.
Thanks
taipeipeter and everyone else who weighed in. Worries averted.
As always, FlyerTalk saves the day!