Kitchen Confessions: It’s Always Steamy in Philadelphia

It may not always be sunny in Philadelphia, but it is always steamy. Whether the sun is bearing down on us, or the skies are unleashing a downpour of biblical proportions, Philly gets humid in a hurry. And with so many people slumming through the hot summer months without air conditioning (brave souls), Penn Appetit is here to bring you a list of essential treats that beat the heat.

Cool-down Tip #1: Frozen Grapes
You’ve seen them at the Toga Party during NSO (if you got there in time – they go fast), and there’s a reason they’re so popular. Aside from being absurdly simple to make (put grapes in bowl; put bowl in freezer; caveman can do) they are hugely effective in cooling down your entire body. They get as cold as an ice cube, but with the added benefit of not leading to an expensive trip to the dentist. Plus, frozen grapes last longer. No more throwing away spoiled produce after just a couple days!

Cool-down Tip #2: Lil’ Pop Shop:
For an off-campus treat that is still close to home, venture to 44th and Spruce Street for a $3 stick of pure frozen joy and a blast of AC. The wide variety of creamy and icy popsicles ensures that there is always something new to try. (The goat cheese and wild cherries is my personal favorite.) Ask for a frequent-pop card, because you’ll be back.

Cool-down Tip #3: Cool-cumbers:

We all know to drink lots of water when it’s hot out, but snacking on water-rich foods can actually lower your body temperature, from the inside out. Raw fruits and vegetables, like mango, watermelon, cucumbers, tomatoes, and celery contain high concentrations of water that hydrate your cells, thus lowering your body temperature.

Cool-down Tip #4: Pucker Up!
The term “astringent,” when applied to food, refers to that drying feeling many people experience after tasting red wine. (Sorry, I’m not about to advise you to drink your way to a cooler body temperature. You know that game.) But, go ahead and have as many lentils, beans, bananas, or grapes as you want! They contain an astringent agent, called tannin, which gives them their dry textures. Much like the tight feeling that follows a squirt of Franzia, when you digest foods containing tannin, your muscles contract, which accelerates the rate at which they absorb water. The surge of water absorption in your muscles makes your cells swell with water, thereby lowering your body temperature.

Cool-down Tip #5: Go Green

Calcium – it doesn’t just promote good bone density, it also keeps you cool. The release of calcium in your body when you digest dark, leafy greens acts as a thermoregulator and helps it regulate temperature more efficiently. So, add some kale to your next salad at Gia because it’s cool to go green.

Cool-down Tip #6: Let Them Eat Bread
The magnesium contained in whole grain breads (and quinoa) acts as a muscle relaxer and increases the absorption of calcium in your bloodstream. This works to help your body regulate its temperature even as you digest.

Cool-down Tip #7: Some Like it Hot
Turn up the heat! That’s right – eating spicy foods makes your body temperature increase and your pulse accelerate. Then you start to sweat, which cools your body below it’s starting temperature. It’s no wonder that the cuisine from some of the hottest areas in the world involves heavy use of spices and peppers. Likewise, the increase in body temperature that follows a bite into a Thai chili can make you feel cooler by decreasing the difference between your body temperature and the air around you, thus proving that being cool is really all about your state of mind.

–KC Boas