To eat healthy, first master the temperature of your food.

Many of us focus on the nutritional value and cooking methods when choosing food, but we should actually pay more attention to the temperature of the food, as it largely determines its texture and nutritional value. Let's talk about the optimal temperatures for food below.

Tea

The best water temperature for brewing tea is 70°C—80°C. This ensures the tea is excellent in color, aroma, and taste, and prevents the destruction of nutrients like Vitamin C, caffeine, and tannins. After brewing, the tea should be kept at 65°C.

Drinking Water

The optimal temperature for daily drinking water and for rinsing your mouth is 35°C—38°C, as this causes minimal stimulation to the mouth and teeth. Cooled boiled water is most refreshing when it reaches 12°C—17°C.

Soup

Soups taste best at 60°C—65°C. At this temperature, the solid ingredients and broth blend well, allowing the seasonings to fully release their flavors for a better texture.

Bacon, Mushroom, and Root Vegetable Soup

Milk

Milk should not be boiled at high temperatures for long. Generally, 60°C—70°C is sufficient for pasteurization and preserves its delicious flavor. This is because the proteins in milk undergo significant changes when heated.

Vegetables

From a nutritional standpoint, cooking methods like eating raw, stir-frying, steaming, stewing, and microwaving are preferable, while pan-frying, boiling, grilling, and deep-frying are less suitable. Some vitamins in vegetables can be destroyed at 60°C—80°C. When making soups, vegetables should not be cooked for too long to avoid excessive loss of Vitamin C. The best temperature for eating vegetables is 50°C—60°C for the best texture.

Meat

Meat is most aromatic, delicious, and tender at 70-75°C. For whole poultry, the internal temperature must reach 82°C to ensure the thickest parts are fully cooked. For braised meats like beef or venison that are served cold, the drop in temperature makes the meat firmer and eliminates the gaminess that comes from serving it hot. However, braised dishes should not be stored for too long to prevent spoilage. Since bacteria can easily spread in minced meat, it must reach at least 71°C to be safe.