It sounds counterintuitive: it’s 30 degrees outside, so you eat something that makes you sweat more? In Korea, this is completely normal — and there’s genuine logic behind it.
Spicy food raises your body temperature slightly, which triggers sweating. As the sweat evaporates, it cools you down. It’s the same mechanism that makes a hot cup of tea on a warm day surprisingly refreshing.
Korean summer food is full of spicy, cold noodle dishes precisely for this reason. Bibim naengmyeon (spicy cold noodles). Mul naengmyeon (cold buckwheat noodles in broth). And our personal favourite — Thin Ramen Noodles rinsed cold, tossed with Gochugaru, sesame, and vinegar.
The next time summer hits and you reach for ice cream, try a spicy noodle bowl first. Your body knows what it’s doing.