In hot weather, we usually reach for ice cream, ice water and cold drinks. Meanwhile, in countries where it is really hot, inhabitants drink hot tea, hot soup and chili. This is because after cold things you will get… hot.
The body reacts to large temperature differences. When we eat something cold, we stop sweating. Our body focuses on restoring heat as quickly as possible. That is why we will be even hotter in the long run.
When we consume drinks and meals that are higher than the ambient temperature, the body stops accumulating heat and we start to sweat. It is this mechanism that best cools our body.
This method is known, among others in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco. Inhabitants of these countries drink hot tea, most often with a mint leaf. Mint is supposed to cool only our palate, while tea makes us sweat. A similar technique is used in the Far East, where you eat warm soup or even chili, which immediately makes you sweat and expel heat faster.
