Cool Off With These Easy Chinese Summer Recipes

With the temperatures already reaching ungodly heights, there's no better time to start adding cooling Chinese summer drinks and snacks into your diet. Traditional Chinese Medicine has it that our cardiovascular systems struggle in steamy, hot weather, which also tends to reduce our appetite and make us grumpy. So to help you stay healthy, happy, and hydrated this summer, we've collected a few recipes to work into your regular mix of salads and juices. 

Lychee and watermelon cocktail

Originating in China, lychees have a special place in Chinese culture. While some believe that eating them can help maintain a fair complexion, many others simply enjoy the (slightly messy) act of peeling them and being rewarded with their plump, fragrant fruit. In order to elevate this natural coolant to the level of summer elixir, this recipe pairs it with another signature summer fruit, watermelon.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup lychee juice
• 6-9 lychees
• Three thin slices of watermelon
• Three sprigs of mint
• Two cans of soda water

Instructions

1. Cut three slices of watermelon thin enough so that they are able to bend into a glass without snapping.
2. Pour 1/4 cup of lychee juice into each glass.
3. Prep your lychee skewers with 2-3 lychees on each skewer.
4. Pour 2/3 of a can of soda water into each glass, or until full.
5. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Green bean soup with lily bulbs and lotus seeds

Almost every Chinese child grew up eating green bean soup in summer, and rightly so; this soothing blend is perfect for hot, languorous days (and can also be enjoyed hot in winter). All the ingredients possess cooling, or yin, elements to help reduce the fire in your body. To achieve the rich and grainy texture that is preferred, soak the beans in water overnight.

Ingredients

• 200 grams of dried green beans
• 25 grams of dried lotus seeds (soak in cold water for 30 minutes)
• 25 grams of dried lily bulbs (soak in cold water for 30 minutes)
• Six cups of water
• 25 grams of rock sugar (or to taste)

Instructions

1. Place four cups of water and green beans into a pot and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes, then turn off the heat and cover with a lid, putting aside for one hour. Drain and rinse with water until cold.
2. Return the beans to the pot, add the lotus seeds, lily bulbs, and the six cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the beans have softened.
3. Sweeten the soup with rock sugar and cook until all the sugar has fully dissolved. Turn off the heat and either serve immediately, at room temperature, or when chilled.

Marinated jellyfish salad

Often filed under "the more intimidating things that foreigners can eat in China," jellyfish should in fact be one of the least hard to swallow. Crunchy, translucent, and incredibly moreish, jellyfish is packed with cooling properties that make it perfect for a summer side dish.

Ingredients 

• 1/2 lb of jellyfish
• 1 1/2 tsp of salt
• 2 tbsp of rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 tsp of chopped chili peppers (optional)

Instructions

1. Rinse the salt off the jellyfish and cut into long, 1/4-inch thick pieces.
2. Soak in a large bowl filled with cool water for several hours, changing regularly to reduce its salty flavor. Drain.
3. Pour enough boiling water to cover the jellyfish and give it a good stir. Once you can feel the soft jellyfish texture tighten up (creating a nice crunch, about half a minute or so), remove and put into ice-cold water to stop it from cooking.
4. Once jellyfish is cool, drain thoroughly. Add the salt, mix, and put in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to extract the water. Take out and squeeze the jellyfish until it's as dry as possible.
5. Put the jellyfish, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili peppers into the mixing bowl. Mix and taste. Adjust seasoning as necessary: it should have a balance of sweet, salty, and sour.
6. Pour into a serving bowl, cover, and put in the fridge to chill and marinate for at least one hour. Give a quick stir before serving.

Boiled shrimp with dipping sauce

Boiled shrimp is a simple and quick, yet finger-licking good summer dish. All you need to do is boil the shrimp with the shells on, add a few shreds of ginger and cooking wine, and get your creative juices flowing when making the dipping sauce – the world is your oys... shrimp.

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp minced scallion
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• ½ tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp black vinegar

To cook the shrimp

• 1 pound shrimp
• 3 slices ginger
• 2 scallions, whole
• 1½ tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine

Instructions

1. First, prepare the dipping sauce by mixing minced ginger and minced scallion in a small heat-proof bowl.
2. Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil until it just starts to smoke, and pour it over the ginger and scallion to flash fry the mixture.
3. Now, add the light soy sauce, water, sugar, and Chinese black vinegar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. That’s the sauce!
4. Next, trim, de-vein, and clean the shrimp. Rinse, drain, and set aside.
5. In a medium pot, add five cups of water, three slices of ginger, the two whole scallions, 1½ tablespoons salt, and two tablespoons Shaoxing wine. Bring the mixture to a boil.
6. Add the shrimp and stir slowly. The shrimp will cook very fast – they’re done once they’ve turned completely pink (around one minute).
7. Remove the shrimp immediately to avoid overcooking.
8. Plate and serve with the dipping sauce (and provide lots of napkins).

Almond tofu

While you're probably more used to seeing almond tofu at the end of a Japanese meal, it is in fact a traditional Chinese dessert. The taste and texture is more akin to pannacotta than tofu, which makes it a hugely refreshing (and nutritious) sweet on a steamy summer day.

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup unsweetened soymilk, or milk
• 4 grams agar strips
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp crystal sugar, or more as needed

Instructions

1. If using raw almonds, soak them first in water for 2-3 hours until soft. Drain and transfer into a food processor with fresh water to make almond milk. If using almond flour, mix the flour with water to make almond milk.
2. In a small bowl, cover the agar strips with water and soak for 10 minutes. Discard the water and transfer the agar strips into a pot, add sugar, and 1 cup of water; heat until completely dissolved.
3. Pour the almond milk (or regular milk) into the pot and slowly bring to a boil, stirring throughout.
4. Filter the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer before transferring into one large container or multiple smaller containers. Remove any bubbles that float to the top. Put in the fridge.
5. Once set, cut the mixture into cubes. Serve with jam, fresh fruit, or sweet-scented osmanthus.

Read: Would We Lychee to You? Five Summery Fruits Now in Season

Image: Salty Canary, Yummy Korean Food, Sohu, The Woks of Life, China Sichuan Food