Why do we drink mutton soup during the Great Heat? Can I eat winter melon and mutton soup when I have a cold?

Mutton has always been a synonym for deliciousness. When people hear about eating mutton, they drool and want to eat it. Compared with the big-name hand-pulled meat and roasted whole lamb, mutton soup is the protagonist in people's daily life. Many people think that the north is the place where people eat mutton the most. If you are interested, you can come and learn more about it!

Contents of this article

1. Why do we drink mutton soup during the Great Heat?

2. Can I eat winter melon and mutton soup when I have a cold?

3. Who should not drink mutton soup in winter?

Why do we drink mutton soup during the Great Heat?

custom

On the day of the Great Heat in the lunar calendar, there is a custom in southern Shandong Province to "drink summer sheep" (i.e., drink mutton soup) on this day. It is understood that the habit of eating summer sheep is related to local farming and climate. Zaozhuang is a famous wheat-producing area. When the summer heat begins, the wheat harvest is over and the new wheat is on the market. It is a short farming off-season, and people want to take a break at this time. At that time, what delicious food can be eaten in the countryside is just a new wheat steamed bun. Some families are so cruel that they kill a sheep. They can't bear to eat it themselves, so they bring their married daughters back to eat new wheat steamed buns and drink mutton soup. Over time, the custom of drinking summer sheep has been formed.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that although the weather is hot during the Great Heat, the human body is easily invaded by heat, dampness and evil. Nutritionists have also conducted in-depth research on this, and the results show that mutton is the most nutritious when eaten during the dog days. During the dog days, the human body accumulates heat. Drinking mutton soup at this time, along with chili oil, vinegar and garlic, will inevitably cause the whole body to sweat. This sweat can take away the heat accumulated in the five internal organs and expel toxins from the body, which is extremely beneficial to health.

Can I eat winter melon and mutton soup when I have a cold?

It can be eaten in small amounts.

Winter melon and mutton soup has the effect of nourishing the body. It is suitable for people with weak body, blood, indigestion, weak waist and knees, etc. For people with colds, eating it in moderation can supplement the body's nutrition and speed up recovery. But it is not advisable to eat too much. After all, winter melon and mutton soup has a strong warming effect. If you eat too much at one time, it will increase the digestive burden of the spleen and stomach for people with weak spleen and stomach during a cold, which is not conducive to recovery.

Who should not drink mutton soup in winter?

Although mutton has good tonic function, it also has its indications. People with chronic diseases, especially liver diseases, should not eat mutton. Patients who already have hepatitis B should not eat mutton, because mutton is sweet, warm and hot, and eating too much may aggravate hepatitis.

People with certain febrile diseases such as phlegm-fire-dampness-heat and early infectious diseases, edema, as well as those suffering from external infection, tooth disease, carbuncle, hemorrhoids, etc. should not eat mutton. People with high blood pressure and strong liver yang should not eat too much mutton, otherwise it will easily cause dizziness. People who often have oral erosion, red eyes, bitter mouth, irritability, dry and sore throat, swollen and painful gums or diarrhea, or those who take Chinese medicine prescriptions containing pinellia and calamus should not eat mutton.

In addition, many friends are used to buying mutton and stewing it at home or making soup for the whole family to eat together. Experts remind that mutton is warm and helps the yang, so children should be cautious when eating mutton for tonic. Children's constitution is particularly prone to dryness, so it is not suitable for tonic and eating mutton. If they eat it, just try one or two pieces. Whether it is stewed mutton or shabu-shabu mutton slices, mutton is more suitable for adults.