After Minor Heat Comes the Dog Days: 3 Recommended Foods to Expel Dampness, Dispel Cold, and Relieve Summer Heat

July 7 marks the Minor Heat solar term, after which we officially enter the "Dog Days of Summer"—the hottest, most humid period of the year. The scorching sun and stifling air make it feel like you’re wrapped in a damp, sweltering blanket, leaving you lethargic and your digestive system sluggish. During this time, the body wilts like plants under the oppressive heat, craving nourishing foods that can dispel internal dampness, cold, and toxins while restoring vitality.

1. Ginger

An old saying goes, "Eat radishes in winter and ginger in summer." Indeed, ginger is like a warming fire that drives away cold and dampness in the hot months. Pungent and warming in nature, ginger promotes yang energy, disperses cold, and helps expel lingering chill from the joints. It also revives the spleen and stomach, which are often weighed down by summer heat and humidity, warming the body from within and restoring smooth energy flow.

Recommended Recipe: Sliced Beef Steamed with Ginger and White Mushrooms

Ingredients:

• Beef slices

• Light soy sauce, cooking wine, oyster sauce, a pinch of sugar, cornstarch

• White mushrooms (enoki or shimeji)

• Fresh ginger

Instructions:

1. Marinate the beef: Slice the beef and mix it with a little light soy sauce, cooking wine, oyster sauce, a pinch of sugar, and cornstarch. Coat well, then drizzle with a bit of oil to lock in moisture. Let it marinate for 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the mushrooms: Clean the mushrooms, trim the ends, blanch in boiling water for 1 minute, drain, and spread them on a plate as the base.

3. Assemble: Lay the marinated beef slices over the mushrooms. Cut ginger into very fine shreds and scatter them evenly over the beef.

4. Steam: Once the steamer water boils, place the plate inside and steam over high heat for 15–20 minutes until the beef is fully cooked.

The magic of this dish lies in its steaming method, which preserves nutrients while keeping the flavors light and refreshing. The tender beef absorbs the umami of the mushrooms, while the ginger’s subtle spiciness permeates the meat, leaving a pleasant warmth with each bite. The ginger not only cuts through the richness of the beef but also quietly dispels accumulated dampness and cold. When that gentle heat reaches your stomach, it’s like adding a small furnace to your sluggish digestive system.

2. Perilla Leaves

Perilla leaves, warm and pungent, excel at dispersing cold, regulating qi, and soothing the stomach. They are especially effective at neutralizing toxins from seafood. During the Dog Days, perilla becomes a natural remedy for dispelling dampness and reviving appetite—its unique fragrance piercing through the muggy air to awaken heat-dulled taste buds.

Recommended Recipe: Perilla Leaf Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:

• Fresh perilla leaves

• Eggs

• Salt, white pepper

• Cooking oil

Instructions:

1. Prep the perilla: Wash the leaves, pat dry, and roughly chop (no need to mince finely).

2. Beat the eggs: Crack eggs into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and white pepper, and whisk.

3. Cook the eggs: Heat oil in a pan, pour in the eggs, and scramble quickly with chopsticks as the edges set.

4. Add perilla: When the eggs are 70–80% cooked (mostly set but still slightly runny), toss in the chopped perilla.

5. Finish: Stir-fry for another 10–15 seconds to blend the flavors, then serve.

This is the ultimate quick-fix summer dish! Fluffy golden eggs wrapped in perilla’s aromatic spice instantly revive heat-suppressed appetites. The herb’s fragrance cuts through the humidity like a refreshing breeze, carrying a hint of warmth that dances on the palate—both invigorating and appetite-stimulating, sweeping away the stifling discomfort of summer.

3. Job’s Tears (Yi Yi Ren)

Job’s tears, or coix seed, is a celebrated medicinal food renowned for dispelling dampness. Mildly sweet and slightly cooling, it strengthens the spleen, promotes diuresis, and reduces swelling. In the humid summer, the body feels like a waterlogged sponge—heavy and sluggish. Job’s tears act like gentle wringing hands, squeezing out excess dampness to restore lightness and ease.

Recommended Recipe: Job’s Tears, Lotus Root, and Pork Rib Soup

Ingredients:

• Job’s tears (soaked 1 hour or overnight)

• Pork ribs

• Lotus root or lotus root stems (peeled and cut)

• Carrots

• Ginger slices

Instructions:

1. Prep the ribs: Blanch ribs in cold water, skim off foam, and drain.

2. Cut vegetables: Slice lotus root diagonally; cut carrots into chunks.

3. Simmer: In a pot, combine ribs, soaked Job’s tears, and ginger. Add water, bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 40 minutes.

4. Add veggies: Toss in lotus root and carrots; simmer another 20–30 minutes until tender. Season with salt before serving.

This soup is a "dampness-dispelling elixir" for the Dog Days! The clear broth blends the richness of pork with the nuttiness of Job’s tears, while the crisp lotus root and sweet carrots add texture. The softened Job’s tears release their mild detoxifying power, and each sip spreads a soothing warmth from throat to stomach, as if gently "weeding out" heaviness from every corner of the body, leaving behind pure comfort.

Final Thoughts

As Minor Heat passes and the Dog Days set in, nature’s "steaming mode" is fully activated. When your body feels trapped in muggy dampness, let these humble ingredients become your table’s guardians—quietly balancing yin and yang, expelling dampness, dispelling cold, and dissolving summer heat to help you endure the long, sweltering season with ease.

(Note: The original text was expanded to meet the 800-word requirement while maintaining natural flow and adding descriptive depth.)