Spicy food and hot weather.

misa.j · 12 Jun 2005

Did you ever experience feeling cool after eating something spicy in summer? I hear some people lose their appetite when it's hot, but it doesn't seem to happen to me.

I often get craving for spicy food in summer, like Mexican food, curry etc.
Eating spicy food actually stimulates your appetite, circulation and raise body temprature which makes you sweat; that might be why I felt slightly cool after eating spicy food.
In the countries with hot climates such as Mexico and Thailand, spices are heavily used in their dishes.

I would like to hear your opinions on this through a poll.
What do you think?

Apollo · 12 Jun 2005

I love spicy food, but I don't have a craving for it during summertime.....it is mainly during the cold months that I yearn for spicy food.

during summer, I prefer salad & fruit....

lexico · 12 Jun 2005

Although I would like to disbelieve those claims that hot (spicy) food in the hot season helps to bear the heat, I remember enjoying the green jungle curry in Bankok. I tried some in the winter at home, but I couldn't get the satisfaction. I must have enjoyed the heat as an appetizer...
Tomatos, red-green chile peppers, and jalapen~o are supposedly one big family, and also known to be aphrodesiacs.

wintersweet · 12 Jun 2005

Hmm. I can't answer because I love spicy food all year 'round, but it doesn't seem to help me in the heat. I believe this idea comes from Chinese food/medicine theory. The best explanation I've heard is that it makes you sweat, which is a natural cooling mechanism. Honestly, I prefer to just stay in the A/C.

I guess I'm more used to American habits such as eating light meals in the summer, with lots of cool fruit and salads, and avoiding fatty and rich foods.

misa.j · 13 Jun 2005

Miss_apollo7 said:
during summer, I prefer salad & fruit....

wintersweet said:
I guess I'm more used to American habits such as eating light meals in the summer, with lots of cool fruit and salads, and avoiding fatty and rich foods.

I love eating salads and fruits in the summer, but they don't hold me long by themselves, so I add some spiced chicken on top of the salad.
I guess I have an extraordinarily big stomach for a woman.

lexico said:
I remember enjoying the green jungle curry in Bankok. I tried some in the winter at home, but I couldn't get the satisfaction. I must have enjoyed the heat as an appetizer...

That curry sounds good, I can have it right now!
You seem to know what I'm talking about, lexico. Spicy food tastes better to me in the heat for some reason.

There aren't many spicy Japanese food, so I often went out for Korean BBQ, Mexican or Thai food when I was in Japan or just made my curry very spicy.

Nuala · 13 Jun 2005

I love eating spicy foods during the summer! Burrito? Drown it in hot sauce. Rice? Curry that stuff up.

kirei_na_me · 14 Jun 2005

I don't like overly spicy food anytime, especially not in the summer.

Mycernius · 15 Jun 2005

There's nowt wrong with a good curry at any time of year. We have a very good curry house near us. In fact we have several, but I think in most English towns you can't go far without finding a curry house. :atsui:

Pachipro · 15 Jun 2005

Spicy food is extremely good for the health by helping to destroy virusus and fungi within the blood by raising body and blood temperature. I cannot get enough of hot spicy food anytime of the year. I love it. The hotter, the better. :atsui:

Davey · 15 Jun 2005

i love spicy food, especialy korean food!!! but to eat it in summer doesnt really cool me down, but it is interresting the way you say it.. never thought about it like that!! next time when i eat spicy food, i will think about it!!! arigato misa

misa.j · 15 Jun 2005

Thanks everyone for your replies!
I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who likes spicy food in the summer.

Pachipro said:
Spicy food is extremely good for the health by helping to destroy virusus and fungi within the blood by raising body and blood temperature.

That's how I feel whenever I sweat a lot. I always thought "Kimchi" they eat in Korea helped Korean women had such a beautiful skin.

I hope this is not grossing you guys out, but my body feels even cleaner after I sweat like a fool from hiking.

Mycernius said:
In fact we have several, but I think in most English towns you can't go far without finding a curry house.

Oh boy, I'm jealous! There used to be one in my town, but they moved. It's so nice to be able to have Indian take-outs.

nanda · 24 Jun 2005

spicy food make me feel hot
i eat watermelons and salad during summer

Kara_Nari · 25 Aug 2005

I like to have spicy soups like Kimchi Jjigae, and then have Watermelon for dessert in the summer time.
I just love spicy soups for lunch during summer, eaten with rice. Mmm even spicy food for a late breakfast is great!
I too think it cools you down on a particularly hot day.
But then I prefer thicker soups, like Pumpkin soup in the winter time with Hot Garlic Bread mmm tasty.

misa.j · 26 Aug 2005

Hey Kara, you must have the same kind of stomach as mine to handle spicy food for late breakfast!

Have you had Gazpacho? It's a spicy cold soup with tomatoes, peppers, garlic and other summer veggies that is best chilled, originated in Spain. You might like it.

Kara_Nari · 26 Aug 2005

Ooh I think I have had that before! I love eating spicy noodles or dumpling soup and waiting for the soup to cool before drinking it! Yum!!!
I like to eat spicy food for a late breakfast because then I dont eat again usually till later at night. Very satisfactory!

Pachipro · 27 Aug 2005

misa j. said:
Have you had Gazpacho? It's a spicy cold soup with tomatoes, peppers, garlic and other summer veggies that is best chilled, originated in Spain. You might like it.

Love it. The wife makes it every summer from the fresh vegetables she grows in our garden. However, it is not spicy enough for my taste so I just add some hot sauce to it, crumble in a bunch of Blue Corn Nachos, and go to town. It make a great snack with a beer or a meal by itself.

misa.j · 27 Aug 2005

Another one of my favorites is turkey gumbo I can get at the deli in town.
They make it with just right amount of spiciness, and oh, it's soo good!
I started to use Tabasco sauce in other soups since I had the gumbo and found out they tasted better that way.

werewolf · 27 Aug 2005

I think that hot and spicy food evolved as the cuisine in hot countries, while cold countries evolved a bland cuisine.

Kara_Nari · 6 Sep 2005

Ok well what about spicy cold food?
I dont like the Naeng myeon, (Cold noodles) but then you can have normal noodles rinsed under cold water, and all the spicy stuff added, I prefer that to Naeng myeon.
Kimchi is just yum yum yum, but its generally served cold as a side dish and super spicy (if its not, ask for more spicy hehe).
There are lots of cold spicy things I like to eat. Indian Curry gone cold mmmmm

Limonette · 6 Sep 2005

I never noticed spicy foods making me feel cool at all. But it is interesting that many hot countries seem to like the spicy foods like Mexico, India and Ethiopia. Maybe it does. I like spicy foods year round. However, I like cool foods in summer like watermelon and limonade cold sandwiches cold beans and other such things. I love spicyness but not too hot. I love curry Thai and Mexican food but always ask for #1 or 2 out of 5 in hotness.

Kinsao · 6 Sep 2005

I like mild and medium spicy foods, but I don't eat the really hot foods. I like it any time of year, but I don't have a big appetite in summer, so, I tend to stay on the raw fruit and veg when it's warm anyway. My favourites have to be Thai and Mexican. Luckily there are a lot of restaurants and takeways near me! (Having said that, I don't use them much at all, because it gets expensive and, well, fattening food )

To sweat, makes you feel better, it is good for the system - but I don't find it makes me feel cooler though. :? It feels good to go for a workout and sweat a lot and then have a nice shower afterwards.

It is true hot countries have more spicy foods in traditional cuisine... but I don't think it is to feel cooler. I think, in hot climate it is harder to keep meat for any period of time (I'm thinking of times before good refrigeration), so meat would become a little... uhh... past its best So a preparation with spices, would disguise any... odd... flavour... And/or maybe some of the spices have a preservative property too? :?

Kara_Nari · 6 Sep 2005

Hmm interesting observations, and from what I saw in the alleys of Thailand, im starting to think you're onto something there Kinsao.
I wasnt a HUGE fan of the streetside vendors, but I couldnt possibly walk past super cheap watermelon and pineapple sitting in all that dangerous ice without buying some. Yeah, I ate meat in the markets too. Who knows what it 'really' was?
The key to eating in hot countries is to go to the busiest places, chances are that they are cooking relatively fresh food, that hasn't been sitting for hours.
I've been doing that since I got my stomach bug, and I havent had any new problems since.

But then there is my beloved Kimchi, which has to sit outside to 'ferment' (read: rot) in the hottest of heat. Not just for a few hours either.
However with all the spices, there is no chance any buggies are going to interfere in the pickling preservation process.

Spicy food and hot weather.

Does spicy food make you feel cool in summer?

Yes, it does, and I love eating it in summer.

No, it doesn't have any effect on me, and I don't care for it.

先輩

先輩

後輩

Nihon ni itai na...

先輩

Hell's Finest Daughter

Where I'm Supposed to Be

The Hairy Wookie

JREF Resident Alien

先輩

先輩

先輩

Angel of Life

先輩

Angel of Life

JREF Resident Alien

先輩

先輩

Angel of Life

先輩

Horizon Rider

Angel of Life

Similar threads