January 29, 2026Wellness

The “Becoming Chinese” Trend: Why Hot Water, Boiled Apples, and Tea Are Everywhere Right Now

If you’ve been on TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen it: people swapping iced drinks for hot water, simmering apples instead of blending smoothies, and talking about tea like it’s a daily necessity—not a luxury.

This movement has a name now: the “becoming Chinese” trend.

At first glance, it might look like just another wellness aesthetic. But underneath the memes and jokes is something deeper: a growing curiosity about Traditional Chinese daily habits, especially those centered around warmth, digestion, and rhythm.

This isn’t about literally becoming Chinese. It’s about adopting a different relationship with the body—one that prioritizes gentleness, consistency, and long-term balance over extremes.

Let’s break down what this trend really means, where it comes from, and why practices like drinking hot water, eating boiled apples, and drinking tea daily suddenly feel so relevant.

What Is the “Becoming Chinese” Trend?

The “becoming Chinese” trend is a social media shorthand for embracing traditional Chinese lifestyle habits, especially around food and drink.

Common examples include:

Drinking hot or warm water instead of cold
Eating boiled or stewed fruit, especially apples
Drinking tea daily, not just for flavor
Avoiding iced drinks, especially in the morning
Prioritizing digestion, warmth, and internal balance

While the trend often shows up humorously online, its roots are serious—and ancient.

These habits come from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a system that has emphasized digestion, circulation, and internal harmony for thousands of years.

Why Hot Water Is Central to Chinese Wellness

One of the most talked-about aspects of the trend is drinking hot water.

In many Chinese households, hot or warm water isn’t considered “wellness”—it’s just normal.

The Traditional Reasoning

In TCM, digestion is powered by what’s often described as digestive fire. Cold drinks are believed to slow this process, while warm liquids support it.

That’s why:

Hot water is common, first thing in the morning
Warm tea is preferred over iced beverages
Cold drinks are often avoided when the body is already depleted (early morning, during illness, after childbirth)

This isn’t about strict rules—it’s about reducing stress on the body.

Why It Resonates Today

Modern life already puts digestion under pressure: stress, irregular meals, ultra-processed foods, and constant stimulation.

Warm water is simple, free, and grounding. For many people, it’s the first wellness habit that actually feels supportive instead of demanding.

Boiled Apples: The Quiet Star of the Trend

If hot water opened the door, boiled apples walked right through it.

Suddenly, people are simmering apples on the stove and talking about digestion, gut comfort, and “feeling better after eating.”

Why Apples Are Boiled in Chinese Food Therapy

In Chinese food therapy, cooking fruit makes it:

Easier to digest
Gentler on the stomach
Less likely to cause bloating or discomfort

Raw fruit, especially when cold, can be hard on sensitive digestion. Cooking transforms its texture and energetic quality.

Boiled apples are often eaten:

In the morning
During times of digestive imbalance
When the body feels depleted or stressed

Is This Scientifically Proven?

There isn’t strong Western clinical research specifically on boiled apples as a therapy.

What is true:

Cooking fruit breaks down fiber and makes it easier to digest
Warm foods are often better tolerated by sensitive stomachs
Many people report less bloating and discomfort with cooked fruit

This is experiential wisdom, not a medical claim.

Tea as a Daily Ritual, Not a Trend Drink

Tea is another pillar of the “becoming Chinese” conversation—but not in the matcha-latte, grab-and-go way.

In Chinese culture, tea is:

Consumed daily
Often plain, without sweeteners
Chosen based on season, body state, and time of day

Tea isn’t about stimulation—it’s about support.

Why Tea Fits Modern Life So Well

Unlike supplements or powders, tea:

Is gentle
Encourages slowing down
Fits naturally into daily rhythms

People drawn to the “becoming Chinese” trend often say the same thing: tea makes them pause.

And in a culture obsessed with speed, that pause matters.

Why This Trend Is Happening Now

This isn’t random. The timing makes sense.

1. Burnout Is Mainstream

People are tired of:

Extreme wellness routines
Over-supplementation
Doing “everything right” and still feeling off

The appeal of hot water and boiled apples is that they’re low-pressure and sustainable.

2. Cold Culture Is Being Questioned

Iced coffee, cold smoothies, frozen foods—Western wellness has long celebrated cold.

The “becoming Chinese” trend quietly asks: what if warmth matters more than we thought?

3. Cultural Wisdom Is Being Re-examined

There’s a growing respect for non-Western health systems—not as trends, but as complete philosophies.

Many people are realizing that modern wellness borrowed ideas without fully understanding the systems behind them.

Important Context: Appreciation vs. Oversimplification

It’s worth saying this clearly.

The “becoming Chinese” trend can be:

Educational and grounding
Or oversimplified and aesthetic-driven

Drinking hot water doesn’t make someone Chinese. Eating boiled apples doesn’t mean someone is practicing TCM.

These habits come from a complex cultural and medical system, not isolated hacks.

The healthiest way to engage with the trend is with:

Curiosity
Respect
Willingness to learn

Not rigid rules.

How to Gently Try These Habits (Without Going Extreme)

If you’re curious, here’s how to explore thoughtfully.

Start With One Shift

Swap one iced drink for warm water or tea
Try boiled fruit once a week instead of raw

Notice, Don’t Force

Pay attention to:

Digestion
Energy
Comfort

Not trends or aesthetics.

Keep It Flexible

Traditional Chinese habits are about responding to the body, not following dogma.

Why This Trend Is Likely to Last

Fads disappear. Foundations don’t.

The “becoming Chinese” trend isn’t about novelty—it’s about returning to basics:

Warmth
Simplicity
Rhythm
Daily care

These ideas have lasted thousands of years for a reason.

As modern wellness culture matures, it’s moving away from extremes and toward what people can actually live with.

Hot water. Boiled apples. Tea.

Not because they’re trendy—but because they’re doable.

Final Thoughts

The popularity of the “becoming Chinese” trend says less about social media and more about what people are craving right now: calm, grounding, and care that doesn’t ask too much.

You don’t need to adopt everything.
You don’t need to label it.
You don’t need to be perfect.

Sometimes, the most radical thing is just choosing warmth.