Piping Hot

When I looked up the origin of the phrase "piping hot" tonight, I had no idea how old the phrase was. Interestingly, if you can believe it, we have been using this phrase in common English since the days of Chaucer in the 14th century. 

In 1390 in The Miller's Tale, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote:

He kembeth his lokkes brode, and made hym gay;
He woweth hire by meenes and brocage,
And swoor he wolde been hir owene page;
He syngeth, brokkynge as a nyghtyngale;
He sente hire pyment, meeth, and spiced ale,
And wafres, pipyng hoot out of the gleede;
And, for she was of town, he profred meede;″

Another source suggests (along the same lines):

"The derivation of this little phrase is the sizzling, whistling sound made by steam escaping from very hot food, which is similar to the sound of high-pitched musical pipes."

Interesting. I am not sure if this what Chaucer was getting at, but given the choice, I prefer mead too.