立夏的味道：涼茶與冰室裡的舊香港夏天記憶 | Start of Summer Flavors: Herbal Tea, Cha Chaan Teng, and Old Hong Kong Summers | 24節氣記憶系列 第7章
立夏標誌著夏天的開始，也喚醒屬於香港的味覺記憶。從微苦的涼茶到冰室裡的凍飲與奶茶，這些味道構成了舊香港夏天的日常。本篇以飲食與城市文化為切入點，描寫立夏如何成為氣候與記憶交織的時刻。
The arrival of summer begins with Start of Summer, bringing with it a distinct sensory shift. In Hong Kong, this transition is deeply tied to taste—from bitter herbal teas to iced drinks in bustling cafés. This piece explores how seasonal change intertwines with food culture and memory, shaping the identity of old Hong Kong summers.
立夏的到來，往往不是由溫度的劇烈上升所宣告，而是一種氣味與味道的改變，是空氣中逐漸浮現的潮濕與黏膩，是街角開始出現更多涼茶舖的身影，是冰室裡凍飲點單聲音變得頻繁的節奏，在舊香港的記憶裡，夏天並不只是炎熱，而是一整套與城市生活緊密連結的感官經驗，涼茶，是其中最直接的象徵，那種微苦甚至帶點草藥味的液體，對小時候的人來說往往難以接受，但大人卻總會說「清熱氣」，彷彿這不只是飲品，而是一種身體與季節之間的調節方式，當氣溫升高，身體需要被平衡，而涼茶便成為一種傳統的答案，與此同時，冰室則構成了另一種完全不同的夏日場景，與涼茶的功能性不同，冰室更像是一個城市的避風港，推門進去，冷氣的溫度與外面的濕熱形成強烈對比，牆上的菜單、卡位的座椅、以及服務員快速而熟練的動作，都讓人感到一種熟悉的節奏，在這裡，凍檸茶、凍奶茶、紅豆冰這些飲品，不只是解渴，更是一種屬於城市的儀式，尤其是在放學或下班之後，人們走進冰室，點一杯凍飲，短暫地從炎熱中抽離，那種瞬間的涼意，幾乎成為夏天最具體的記憶之一，立夏因此不只是節氣的開始，而是一個生活節奏的轉換點，人們開始調整作息，開始接受炎熱，開始尋找各種方式讓自己與季節共處，舊香港的夏天，沒有太多關於「避暑」的選擇，更多的是一種適應，是電風扇的聲音，是街邊的樹蔭，是夜晚稍微降溫後的空氣，是在陽台乘涼的片刻，這些細節構成了一種集體記憶，也讓立夏變得具體而可感，隨著時代改變，冷氣變得普及，連鎖飲品店取代了部分傳統冰室，涼茶也逐漸被包裝成商品，但那些味道仍然存在於記憶之中，每當夏天開始，人們仍然會在某個瞬間想起那種熟悉的苦味或甜味，想起某一間曾經常去的冰室，想起某一個與家人或朋友共度的午後，立夏所帶來的，其實是一種記憶的觸發，它讓人意識到，季節並不只是氣候的變化，而是與生活方式緊密相連的存在，而那些味道，正是連結過去與現在最直接的橋樑
English Version
The beginning of summer does not always arrive with an abrupt rise in temperature, but rather with a shift in atmosphere, a subtle transformation felt through humidity, scent, and taste, in Hong Kong, this seasonal transition is deeply embedded in everyday experiences, where food and drink become markers of time, herbal tea stands begin to appear more prominently on street corners, offering dark, bitter brews believed to balance the body against internal heat, a concept rooted in traditional practices, for many as children, the taste of herbal tea was difficult to accept, its bitterness unfamiliar and lingering, yet it was always accompanied by reassurance from elders, who saw it not merely as a drink but as a necessary adjustment to the changing season, alongside this, another space defines the summer experience—the cha chaan teng, or local café, where the contrast between indoor coolness and outdoor heat creates an immediate sensory shift, stepping inside feels like entering a different world, one governed by routine, familiarity, and the rhythm of service, iced lemon tea, milk tea, and red bean ice are not simply refreshments, but rituals that structure daily life, especially during the hottest months, after school or work, people gather in these spaces, seeking brief relief, the condensation on a glass, the first sip of a cold drink, these small moments become embedded in memory, forming a collective understanding of what summer feels like, in earlier times, when air conditioning was less widespread, coping with heat required adaptation rather than avoidance, electric fans, shaded streets, evening breezes, and time spent on balconies all contributed to a slower, more tactile relationship with the season, these details, though ordinary, shaped a shared cultural memory, over time, modernization has altered these experiences, air conditioning is now ubiquitous, chain beverage shops have replaced many traditional cafés, and herbal tea has been commercialized into packaged products, yet the essence remains, each year, as summer begins, certain tastes resurface, triggering memories of specific places, people, and moments, the bitterness of herbal tea, the sweetness of iced drinks, the atmosphere of a familiar café, all serve as reminders that seasons are not only climatic events, but lived experiences intertwined with identity and culture, the start of summer, therefore, is not just a point in time, but a sensory threshold, where memory, taste, and environment converge, allowing the past to re-emerge within the present.
