While it may be tempting to rely on cold noodles and takeout as temperatures rise, this isn’t the best way to go natsubaat — fatigue caused by the heat and humidity of summer.
Instead, eating small amounts of nutritious yet balanced foods at regular intervals can help keep those Japanese summertime problems at bay. B vitamins are especially important in fighting fatigue, and it’s one of the reasons they’re rich in thiamine lonely (eel) is traditionally eaten on Doyo no Ushi no Hi (Ox Day), which falls on July 24 this year.
If unagi isn’t your thing, love oily fish sanma (Pacific Geep), saba (mackerel) and aji (horse mackerel) are great alternatives, but if seafood is completely off the table, don’t worry: pork, the other white meat, is also a great source of natsubate-breaking thiamine. Add some citric acid in the form of wat kurozu (black vinegar) and a salad with summer vegetables and you can prepare yourself a meal to take the edge off the upcoming scorching summer.
