Introduction: Summer heat often dampens appetite, making light, refreshing, and simple cold dishes the stars of the dining table. In this issue, we'll recommend a few cold dishes perfect for summer.
To learn more delicious cold dish recipes, check out our special feature: Simple and Nutritious Cold Dishes
Cold Cucumber Salad. Cucumber is the best food for hydration in summer, having the highest water content of all foods. It contains cucurbitacin, which has certain anti-cancer properties. Additionally, cucumber is cool in nature, known for its effects of clearing heat, promoting urination, and detoxification. It's very suitable for cold dishes, such as Cucumber with Wood Ear Mushrooms or Garlic Cucumber Salad.
Cold Lotus Root Slices. In the "Compendium of Materia Medica," lotus root is called the "spiritual root." Eating crisp and sweet lotus root slices in hot weather not only whets the appetite and is refreshing but also helps to clear internal heat and moisten dryness. When blanched, the nature of lotus root changes from cool to warm, giving it the effect of nourishing the stomach and strengthening the spleen. Ginger Juice Lotus Root Slices are an excellent choice.
Cold Shredded Potato Salad. Potatoes are not only rich in potassium but also essential minerals like calcium and zinc, as well as nutrients such as vitamin C. People sweat more in summer, so eating potatoes can help replenish these nutrients. Furthermore, potatoes are rich in dietary fiber, which promotes gastrointestinal motility and accelerates cholesterol metabolism in the intestines, aiding bowel movements and lowering cholesterol. Compared to stir-frying, blanching potatoes for a cold salad makes them crisp and delicious, as in Vinegar Shredded Potato Salad.
Cold Bitter Melon Salad. The momordicoside and insulin-like substances in bitter melon are effective in lowering blood sugar, making it an ideal food for diabetics. These compounds, along with the bitter principle, can also stimulate appetite, strengthen the spleen and whet the appetite, and have therapeutic effects such as improving vision, aiding digestion, cooling and detoxifying, and promoting urination. A plate of cold bitter melon is a great choice on a scorching summer day.
Cold Lettuce Salad. Lettuce has a fresh taste with a slight bitterness that can stimulate digestive fluid secretion and increase appetite. It contains many inorganic salts and vitamins, and is high in potassium, which is beneficial for controlling high blood pressure. It also affects a person's basal metabolism and even mood regulation. A plate of refreshing Vinegar Lettuce Salad on a hot day can help relieve tension, reduce stress, and enhance appetite.
Cold Celery Salad. Celery has benefits such as soothing the throat, improving eyesight and replenishing Qi, nourishing blood and strengthening the spleen, and relieving coughs and promoting urination. Regular consumption of celery can boost immunity. In summer, when people are prone to sore throats, mouth ulcers, and irritability, eating cold celery can help alleviate these symptoms.
Finally, it should be noted that besides cucumber, the other dishes need to be blanched in boiling water. After draining, you can season them according to your taste with salt, vinegar, garlic, etc.