ByWangRuoxinTheGreatHeat,orDashu,thelastsolarterminsummerfallsonJuly23thisyear.Itmarksthehottestperiodoftheyear,duringwhichdietarycustomsshowdifferencefromregiontoregioninChina,suchaseatinglycheeineastChina’sFujian,eatingpineapplesinTaiwan,enjoyinggrassjellyinsouthChina’sGuangdongandhavingmuttonsoupineastChina’sShandong.DrinkingSummerTeaSummerTea,preparedforthedogdaysofsummer,ismadefrommorethan10herbssuchashoneysuckle,selfhealandlicorice,whichhastheeffectofcoolinganddispellingthesummerheat.DrinkinggingerteaOnthedogdaysofsummer,peoplesliceorjuiceginger,mixitwithbrownsugar,thendryitinthesun.Drinkinggingerteacanbringoutthecoldenergyinthebody.EatinglycheeThepeopleinPutian,FujianProvince,havethecustomofeatinglycheeinsummer.LycheeisaspecialtyofPutianthatmaturesaround“GreatHeat”.It’swarminnature,andcannourishthebody.EatingpineappleTaiwanhasthecustomofeatingpineappleinsummer.Pineappletastesthebestaround“GreatHeat”.Also,insouthernFujiandialect,pineappleispronouncedas“WangLai”(meaning“goodfortunearrives”),sothelocalseatpineappletoprayforpeaceandgoodluck.EatinglambsoupPeopleinsomeplacescalllambsoupthe“summersheep”.PeoplelivingintheYimengMountainregionandthesouthwestofShandongProvinceeatlambsoupduring“GreatHeat”,whichhelpsdispeldampnessandmitigatethesummerheat.Eating“fairygrass”InGuangdong,thereisacustomof“eatingfairygrass”during“GreatHeat”.The“fairygrass”,alsoknownasChinesemesonaherb,isanimportantdual-useherbbothasmedicineandvegetable.Itisrenownedas“fairygrass”becauseofitsmiraculouseffectonsummerheat.Itsdrystemsandleavescanbeusedtomakejellygrass,whichisakindofdesserttobeatthesummerheat.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.