By Bernheim
I hope you were able to find relief from the scorching temperatures this past week. It’s important to find ways to cool down, whether it’s a dip in the closest body of water or a respite in the shade of the forest.
Speaking of cooling down, I was somewhat surprised that as the temperatures soared, so did the sale of our fresh-made soups at Isaac’s. I decided to do some research on the subject and I learned a thing or two, not only why the temperature of the soup matters, but that spiciness factors into the equation as well.
Think for a moment: where do our spiciest cuisines originate? The closer to the equator, the hotter the food. In India, they eat flaming hot curries and sip chai tea. In Mexico, they feast on fiery soups and salsa and drink hot chocolate laced with chili peppers. If you order a dish “Thai hot”, it’s because in Thailand dishes are traditionally spicy by design. This is the case not just because peppers grow well in these sweltering climates, but also because all of these regions have figured out that the body uses the heat from these dishes and the temperature of the food or beverage to help the body cool down naturally.
Our bodies are equipped with nerve endings called thermoreceptors which signal the body to respond to changes in temperature. According to Dr. Ollie Jay, the head of the Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory at the University of Sydney, if you consume a hot beverage or soup whether temperature or spicy hot, the overall amount of heat stored in the body is less than if you consume a cold one. It seems that the cooling effect of sweating outweighs the added heat.
So the next time you are trying to find a way to cool down on a hot summer day, stop in at Isaac’s Café for a hot bowl of fresh made soup from our Edible Garden and by the way, we always have hot sauce to help you “kick it up a notch”. If you still want that cold glass of Maggie’s Sweet Tea or a scoop of Graeter’s Ice Cream to even things out, we have that covered as well!
This week’s special: It’s taco week at Isaac’s Café with two tacos with homemade salsa, ear of fresh corn on the cob and a small side salad for just $6.95 and as always, we will have those tacos meatless for our Meatless Monday special.