A chilli-cool summer? Here's how you can beat the heat with spicy food and drink

The first instinct in this sweltering summer we are having is to run toward cold things But across some of the worldrsquos hottest and most humid regions mdash from Sichuan in China to the Konkan coast mdash people continue to eat aggressively spicy food through peak summer Not despite the heat but because of it Mumbairsquos chefs decode that spice when balanced correctly can actually feel cooling refreshing even oddly addictiveSichuan is coolClassic Ma La Pic CourtesyBang Bang Noodle and Pixian Chilli Alkaline NoodleAt Bang Bang Noodle chef Rahul Punjabi works extensively with Sichuan and Ma La flavours Both cuisines are built around chilli oils fermented bean pastes and the numbing effect of SichuanpeppercornldquoThere are foods that are hot which are not necessarily spicy And there are foods which are cool which are not necessarily not spicyrdquo Punjabi says ldquoSpicier foods have a cooling effect on the bodyrdquoHe points out that cuisines which are heavy on chilli often emerged in tropical humid regions Sichuan is hot and humid for most of the year ldquoThe reason why they eat chillies in that region and in that climate is to induce sweating and to cope with the heatrdquoVegan Liangpi Cold Noodles and Xin Jiang Lamb NoodlesModern science somewhat backs this up Capsaicin mdash the compound that gives chillies their kick mdash activates heat receptors in the body triggering sweating and vasodilation which helps cool the body through evaporationPunjabi says this thinking aligns closely with Ayurveda too ldquoEveryone in Sichuan was talking about how the cuisine has a cooling effect on the body And that aligns a lot with Ayurveda and the way we see food as wellrdquoSolkadhi and Mutton MasalaAyurveda literature around thermoregulation and sweating also discusses how perspiration helps regulate body temperature Though some Ayurveda schools recommend milder spices in extreme heat the broader philosophy focuses on balancing ingredients rather than eliminating spice entirelyThe Konkani wayAt Chaitanya Assal Malvani founders Surekha Walke and Mitra Walke feel Malvani cuisine is often misunderstood as being relentlessly spicy ldquoCalling it purely spicy would be unfairrdquo they say ldquoThe cuisine balances flavours with ingredients like coconut and kokum which suit the coastal climate and help offset heatrdquoPrawns Ambat TikhatUnlike the direct punch of IndoChinese spice Malvani heat tends to build slowly ldquoMalvani masala contains a blend of multiple chillies along with over 20 types of whole spicesrdquo the Walkes explain ldquoThis creates a layered aromatic heat rather than a sharp or overpowering spicinessrdquoRahul PunjabiAnd while North Indians may instinctively reach for Butter Chicken and cola during summer the Konkan has long relied on ingredients that cool the body alongside spiceheavy meals Solkadhi Kokum Sherbet Pej Raw Mango Ragi and seasonal fruitsFrom left Mitra and Surekha WalkeldquoSolkadhi much like chaas or mattha in other communities acts as a cooling drink for the bodyrdquo they explain At Chaitanya customer preferences visibly change during summer Therersquos more seafood lighter curries more kokumbased drinks and fewer heavy meats ldquoPeople tend to opt for lighter more easily digestible optionsrdquo they sayOrder like itrsquos hotMalvani Thali Pics courtesyChaitanya Assal MalvaniBang Bang NoodleTRY Ma La Tang Ramen Smashed cucumber saladAT Bang Bang Noodle Siddharth Nagar Road Motilal Nagar I Goregaon WestCALL 7738282264Chaitanya Assal MalvaniTRY Chicken Sagoti with rice and solkadhi Mutton Sukka Fish Curry Rice with Kokumbased drinksAT Dadar and ThaneCALL 9137566392