As the weather gets cold, having a hot barbecue is a treat for the palate and a way to keep warm. However, barbecue is a "warming" food that can easily cause internal heat. At times like this, it's best to learn a trick from the Argentines—drinking herbal tea.
Barbecue is a major feature of the Argentine diet, and they eat it about 4-5 days a week. Coupled with the tropical and subtropical climate, the secret to avoiding internal heat lies in the beverage they pair with their barbecue—Yerba Mate. It is understood that the main ingredient of this Yerba Mate is very similar to our country's herbal tea, both containing a Chinese medicinal herb called "Prunella." In terms of color and taste, the two are also very alike.
Herbal tea can reduce internal heat, prevent dryness, and has a heat-clearing effect. It can interrupt the process where the sweet and warm nature of barbecue turns into heat in the body, which then accumulates and becomes "fire," putting out the "fire" in a timely manner. It is very effective for reducing internal heat. Chief Physician Xue Changyong from the Nutrition Department of the General Hospital of the PLA suggests drinking a cup of herbal tea after eating barbecue to clear heat and reduce fire, while also quenching thirst and moistening the lungs. If you are concerned about gaining weight from eating meat, you can choose a herbal tea made from Ophiopogon japonicus, chrysanthemum, goji berries, and cassia seeds, which has a weight-loss effect and you don't have to worry about fat accumulation.
Of course, besides reducing internal heat, different herbal teas have different health benefits. After eating barbecue, you can choose according to your different needs. Herbal tea containing Rabdosia serra can prevent dryness; herbal tea containing wild Kuding, chrysanthemum, and rose buds can make one feel refreshed, invigorating the brain and brightening the eyes; herbal tea containing lotus leaves and chrysanthemum has an auxiliary effect of lowering blood pressure and blood lipids.
In addition to eating barbecue, for any food that might cause internal heat to rise, such as hot pot, boiled fish, or spicy hot pot, heat-clearing, detoxifying, lung-moistening, and dryness-relieving herbal tea is the best choice to pair with it.
Director Xue suggests that herbal tea should be consumed according to an individual's constitution. It is not suitable for people with poor health or a "deficient and cold" constitution, as it can affect the spleen and stomach functions, leading to indigestion. When eating barbecue, you can also pair it with two types of herbal tea:
Salty Light Herbal Tea: Brew 5 grams of green tea with 500 ml of boiling water and 2 grams of salt. Let it cool before drinking. It can quench thirst, reduce heat, and relieve restlessness, and can also treat dizziness and nausea.
Fruit Juice Black Tea: Add 750 ml of water to a pot, bring to a boil, add 4 grams of black tea, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the tea leaves. Let it cool and then refrigerate. When drinking, pour 40 ml of the black tea into a glass, add a little lemon juice, orange juice, and white sugar, then add 150 ml of iced water and a slice of orange. It not only reduces internal heat but is also very refreshing.