Summer Wellness Recipes: Top 3 Yang-Boosting Dishes to Beat Dampness and Chill

After the Dragon Boat Festival, as summer heat intensifies, our body’s inner vitality—yang qi—quietly dips to its lowest point of the year. Ancient wisdom notes that "summer solstice births the first shade (yin)," a time when dampness and cold pathogens seize the chance to invade. Aligning with the season through mindful eating can reignite your inner warmth, dispel lingering chill, and leave you feeling light, strong, and energized. Below are three accessible recipes to nurture yang and expel dampness. The first, starring Chinese perilla, earns its title as the "Ultimate Yang-Boosting Ingredient." Enjoy it twice weekly post-festival to stoke your inner fire and thrive through summer!

I. Perilla-Ginger Millet Tea

Revitalizing, warming, and perfect for cold-sensitive constitutions.

Ingredients:

• Fresh perilla leaves (1 large bunch)

• Millet (50g)

• Fresh ginger (20g, sliced into fine threads)

Method:

1. Prep Perilla: Rinse leaves and drain well. Spread evenly on a steamer tray. Steam over boiling water for 2 minutes until leaves darken and soften. Cool completely—crucial for locking in color and aroma.

2. Toast Millet: Rinse millet 1–2 times; drain. Heat a dry skillet over medium-low. Add millet and toast 8–10 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown with light char spots. Nutty fragrance signals readiness.

3. Combine: Add ginger threads to the millet. Stir 2 minutes until ginger infuses. Mix in perilla leaves. Reduce heat; toast 5–7 minutes until leaves crisp and ginger dries.

4. Store: Cool fully. Transfer to an airtight jar.

Brewing:

Add 1–2 tbsp blend to a cup. Pour boiling water over, cover, and steep 5–10 minutes. Re-steep 2–3 times. Best enjoyed mornings—avoid evenings to prevent sleep disruption.

II. Job’s Tears & Pork Belly Soup

Deeply nourishing, dispels dampness, and strengthens digestion.

Ingredients:

• Pork belly (1 whole, about 500g)

• Job’s tears (薏米 yì mǐ; 70g)

• Ginger (5 slices)

• White peppercorns (1 tbsp, lightly crushed)

• Scallion (1 stalk)

• Cooking wine (1 tbsp)

• Salt (to taste)

• Goji berries (optional garnish)

Method:

1. Clean Pork Belly: Rinse under running water. Scrub inside/out with flour and vinegar 2–3 times. Rinse until water runs clear. Submerge in cold water with ginger, scallion, and cooking wine. Bring to a boil; blanch 5 minutes. Discard water. Scrape off excess fat, rinse, and slice.

2. Prep Job’s Tears: Soak 1–2 hours or dry-toast in a skillet until lightly golden—reduces cooling properties, enhances dampness relief.

3. Simmer: Combine pork, Job’s tears, ginger, and peppercorns in a pot. Add ample water (no mid-cooking top-ups!). Bring to boil; reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer 1.5–2 hours until pork is fork-tender and Job’s tears bloom.

4. Finish: Season with salt. Stir in fresh white pepper. Garnish with goji berries.

Note: Reduce peppercorns/ginger if heat-sensitive.

III. Shrimp Stir-Fry with Garlic Chives

Ignites metabolism, rich in Yang-activating energy.

Ingredients:

• Shrimp (300g, peeled, deveined)

• Garlic chives (韭菜 jiǔ cài; 200g, cut into 2" segments)

• Ginger (3 slices, julienned)

• Cooking oil (3 tbsp)

• Cooking wine (1 tbsp)

• White pepper (½ tsp)

• Salt and sugar (to taste)

Method:

1. Marinate Shrimp: Toss shrimp with a pinch of salt, white pepper, and ½ tbsp cooking wine.

2. Stir-Fry:

• Heat oil until shimmering. Sauté ginger 30 seconds.

• Add shrimp; stir-fry 1–2 minutes until curled and pink. Remove.

• Reheat oil. Add chive stems (firmer part); stir-fry 30 seconds.

• Add leaves; toss 20 seconds until wilted.

• Return shrimp. Splash remaining wine along the wok’s edge.

• Season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Toss 15 seconds; serve immediately.

Tip: Avoid overeating chives to prevent bloating.

Why These Dishes Work

• Perilla-Ginger Tea: Perilla (zǐ sū) is a warming herb that releases surface chill. Ginger stokes digestive fire (agni), while millet anchors warmth. Together, they combat "damp-cold" lethargy.

• Job’s Tears Soup: Toasted Job’s tears drain excess fluid without overly cooling. Pork belly provides collagen for gut repair, and pepper/ginger drive warmth deep.

• Chives & Shrimp: Chives are famed as "Yang Grass" in TCM. Shrimp, a lean protein, synergizes with chives’ sulfur compounds to boost circulation.

Summer Wellness Tips

1. Hydrate Wisely: Sip warm fluids (like perilla tea) to avoid shocking the spleen with iced drinks.

2. Embitter Your Plate: Bitter greens (dandelion, arugula) counter summer heat and aid detox.

3. Move Early: Exercise before 10 a.m. to align with yang’s natural ascent.

4. Defend Against Damp: Minimize raw salads, dairy, and sugar—dampness fuels fatigue and puffiness.

Final Thought:

Your kitchen is the frontline of summer resilience. By honoring seasonal rhythms with these recipes, you’ll transform meals into medicine—fortifying your inner sun, banishing damp shadows, and unlocking sustained vitality. Here’s to a radiant, robust season ahead! 🌞