As summer arrives, people tend to choose cooling foods. However, many are unsure how to distinguish the "cold" or "hot" nature of foods. To help with this, Professor Yang Li from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences shares some tips.
"Generally, you can consider the food's color, taste, growth environment, geographical location, and growing season," says Professor Yang. In terms of color, green plants grow close to the ground and absorb its moisture, so they tend to be cooling, such as mung beans and green vegetables. Plants with reddish colors, like chili peppers, black pepper, jujubes, and pomegranates, although also growing close to the ground, absorb more sunlight through their fruits, so they tend to be heating.
In terms of taste, sweet and pungent foods have been exposed to more sunlight, so they are heating, such as garlic, persimmons, and pomegranates. Foods that are bitter or sour are mostly cooling, such as bitter melon, dandelion, taro, plums, and papaya.
Looking at the growth environment, aquatic plants are cooling, such as lotus root, kelp, and nori. Foods that grow on land, like peanuts, potatoes, Chinese yam, and ginger, are buried in the soil for long periods, are drought-resistant, and contain less moisture, so they are heating.
From a geographical perspective, foods that grow in shaded, north-facing areas absorb more moisture and see little sunlight, so they are cooling, such as mushrooms and wood ear fungi. Foods that grow at high altitudes or in the southeast direction, like sunflowers and chestnuts, receive ample light and heat, so they are heating.
The nature of a food is also related to its growing season. Foods that grow in winter are cooling due to the heavy coldness, such as Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, daikon radish, and winter melon. Foods that grow in summer receive more rain, so they are cooling, such as watermelon, cucumber, pears, and pomelos.