Ice Cream in Winter

One of the important tricks I have learned about surviving cold winters in China is warm beverages. I live on tea and coffee and straight-up hot water during the winter. In Sichuan, people would often tell me that drinking warm things in the summer is good for you because it makes you sweat and cools you off. Just like I like hot beverages in the winter, I personally prefer cold things in the summer, especially ice cream. Many Chinese don't like to eat things that are too cold because of the drastic temperature difference between what they consume and their body temperature. They say its good for your health. But nevertheless there are ice cream vendors lining the streets in the summer. Maybe its common knowledge that ice cream in summer is good, as is tea in winter, even if it doesn't always follow traditional Chinese beliefs about food and eating.

Yesterday I was at the entrance to my university in Harbin when I saw two long tables lined along the street. Most of the street food and other vendors in Harbin close from November through March due to the lack of comfort found in standing outside in negative temperatures with howling winds. I completely understand. So imagine my surprise when I saw these table lined up piled with ice cream. This was not like the small vendors in the summer, but there were people selling ice cream in mass quantities. And its so cold out that they don't have to worry about it melting.



I asked why they were selling it and, just like people who like to drink tea in the middle of hot summer days, they told me it is good for your health to eat cold things in the winter. For the five minutes I could stand to stand still outside and watch, I observed some people buying bought small quantities to put in a bag to take home, but they sure did not open it up, toss the wrapper on the ground, and eat it right away as is common practice in the summer.