Cool remedies

For residents living in subtropical and tropical regions, many still hold on to traditional remedies to cool down and dispel dampness despite the availability of air conditioning. For example, to be authentically local, visitors might drink a cup of liangcha, one of the popular cooling herbal teas.

In the labyrinth of qilou lanes, I find small liangcha shops and stands. They have diverse menus that include cold and warm drinks and desserts. I resist the temptation to order salted lemonade or ginger milk tea and tell the woman who manages the stand to pour a small cup of herbal tea. The incredibly dark liquid — its ingredients a secret, according to the woman — tastes exactly as I anticipated, but with an even more impressively bitter edge.

I stop for a deep breath, and the woman says: "I told you. Do not stop. It tastes bitter. That's why you should drink it all at once."

No wonder very few young people order tea at these liangcha shops. The middle-aged and elderly customers quickly drink the tea, just as the woman instructs, in one gulp, and throw the cups into the trash can, as if releasing the heat and humidity.