When it comes to the ideal post-sweat fuel, a quick community poll serves up a feast: salt-cured sauna gherkins, birch sap water, chicken soup, tomato juice, salty cabbage, cool cantaloupe, coconut water … the list goes hungrily on. This week, we grilled the menus of storied bathhouses and, to bridge the gap between post-bathing cravings and science, invited Therme RPC’s team of Registered Nutritionists to take us on a tour of bathing snacks from around the world. They explain why we reach for the pickles post-sauna, and share recipes to try at home.
What’s on the menu?
Ever wondered what sweating does to your appetite? We’ve interrogated masters of steam from Detroit’s historic Schvitz to London’s Banya No. 1 to find out what actually hits the table when the towels come off. Whether it’s a hearty steak, a shot of vodka with a pickle chaser, a sea buckthorn tea or a glass of birch sap, a roll call of bathers’ favourite dishes show the feast is just as important as the heat.
Andrei Formin, Banya No. 1
Between steams and icy plunges, bathers at Banya No. 1, refuel in leather-upholstered booths in typical Russian style. The menu focuses on Russian classics and, according to founder, Andrei Formin, “Popular dishes are salmon caviar on rye, good for maintaining your electrolyte balance. And kvass, a fermented drink that helps to rehydrate. The Banya team is currently enjoying pelmeni (Russian dumplings), herring with onion, and Bobkoff shots, a 35ml vodka shot with a little pickle on the side.”
Paddy Lynch, The Schvitz, Detroit
Paddy Lynch who took over The Schvitz, Detroit’s fabled bathhouse, has kept many – but not all – of the old classics on the menu. He says “back in the late 80s and early 90s, they had a night known as Hookers & Lobstertail. We no longer have either on the menu.”
“Back in the late 80s/early 90s, they had a night known as Hookers & Lobstertail. We no longer have either on the menu.”
Paddy Lynch, The Schvitz, Detroit
“The Schvitz has long been known for its exceptional steak dinners. Ribeyes, strips and filets - often covered with mushroom and onion - have been a staple for nearly a century. We also have great salads, homemade soups, and lighter dishes as well. Our Russian dressing is made in house. There’s something for everyone.
“I often crave a steak after I steam. Whether that’s nurture or nature I don’t know, but it’s been the tradition at the Schvitz for decades.”
Dmitry Shapiro, Russian & Turkish Baths, New York City
The restaurant at the Russian & Turkish Baths has been serving Anna’s Borscht to hungry bathers for decades. Bathers eat in various states of undress alongside photos of past celebrity patrons. Co-owner Dmitry Shapiro says “People love Chef Leon’s food. In fact, some people come just for the food. Customers love vegan soups, like borscht, split pea and mushroom barley. And a heartier Georgian beef soup called Xorcho.
“I personally like a breakfast after a schvitz: omelette, sausage, or smoked salmon. If we have a bigger group, Chef makes us a giant family meal which could be short rib, pappardelle, octopus salad and potatoes and mushrooms. There’s no end to his creativity.”
Feeding bathing cravings around the globe
By Therme RPC Nutrition Team
To help us understand the physiological benefits of traditional bathing snacks, we spoke to the team of nutritionists at Therme RPC who are devising modern food and hydration concepts that are rooted in ancient bathing traditions for Therme’s global resorts including Therme Manchester, set to complete construction in late 2028. Therme RPC explains:
In most cultures, bathing is a communal ritual where the "after" is as vital as the "during." Nourishment is the finale to the bathing experience, a moment to recharge and reconnect.
Although the victuals served post bathing vary between cultures, it is clear that post-bathing foods have intuitively evolved to be rehydrating, cooling and salt-replenishing:
After a Turkish hammam, ayran, a cooling traditional yoghurt drink is served and is a source of probiotics, sodium and calcium. Black or herbal tea is also served with lighter snacks including dried fruit, nuts and Turkish delight as an energising sweet snack.
In Finland, salty grilled sausages served with mustard help replace lost electrolytes, and a lonkero – a grapefruit and gin long drink, a beer or a cider-like mead called sima cool.
In Korea, post hanjeungmak and jiimjilbang foods include “sauna eggs” slowly cooked in hot rooms – a source of protein to deliver steady fuel, dried fish, simple stews and sikhye, a sweet rice drink and tea to support rehydration.
At a Russian banya, cured fish, pickles and sausage are served to replenish lost salts. Kvass, a fermented rye drink, and tea with honey rehydrates, and more festive occasions include beer and vodka to add to the social element.
In Japan, onsen tomago – are traditionally made eggs, soft cooked using the heat from hot springs.
What your body actually needs after a sauna
As the evidence base begins to align with ancient wisdom, we are beginning to understand how bathing snacks can physiologically aid post-bathing recovery. The Therme RPC Nutrition Team explains exactly what bathing does to our bodies, and which refreshments are beneficial to consume post bathing.
The science behind post-bathing cravings
Sauna pushes body temperature up significantly – skin can reach 41°C (105.8°F), while core temperature rises by about 1°C after 20 minutes. Heat exposure causes a short-term stress response and this heat surge activates the body’s built-in cooling system, where sweat begins to flow, and heart rate and blood flow increase.
As sweating intensifies, the body sheds fluid – up to 1.5 liters per hour – containing electrolytes, as well as small amounts of trace minerals such as zinc and iron and water-soluble vitamins, (although sweat induced deficiencies of trace minerals and vitamins appear of minimal risk). Lost water and electrolytes, including sodium, potassium and magnesium, need to be replenished after bathing as they are essential for many bodily functions, from maintaining fluid balance to supporting nerve signalling.
Appetite is often reduced in the heat partly due to dehydration and increased body temperature, but once the body cools, hunger returns – sometimes with cravings for foods rich in nutrients lost. Dehydration can briefly affect taste – the loss of salts can make savory foods more appealing while cool, refreshing options feel especially satisfying.
Registered Nutritionists at Therme RPC
*See references at the end of the post.
Therme RPC’s favorite post-bathing recipes
These recipes are inspired by traditional ingredients and will satisfy those post-sauna hunger pangs as well as quench dehydration.
Gilda
In Spain’s Basque region, bars serve pintxo (or pincho) snacks on a cocktail stick. We love the “Gilda” a combo of moreish olives, anchovies and pickles. This salty bite will help replace lost electrolytes, the anchovies contain Omega-3, protein and calcium, while the olives include antioxidants such as polyphenols and healthy fats.
Spear a green Manzanilla olive, an anchovy (marinated or in olive oil), a pickled Guindilla pepper or other favorite pickle, and a second olive on a cocktail stick. Eat! And serve with:
Beet Martini
A spin on a traditional Borscht, using beetroot juice, herbs and spices – we recommend a mocktail version. Beetroot contains dietary nitrates, which the body converts to nitric oxide to help regulate blood vessel function and circulation.
Shake 50 ml alcohol-free gin, 30ml Versin alcohol-free vermouth, with 70 ml Beetroot juice. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with toasted fennel seeds, a slice of lemon and dill.
Cacao and chia seed pot
A chia seed oat pot is a great post-sauna snack as it helps rehydrate and refuel your body with slow-release carbs: fibre and plant protein from chia seeds, antioxidants from cacao, probiotics and healthy fats, all in a cooling, easy-to-digest form.
To make it, mix 3tbsp chia seeds, ½tbsp cacao, ½ cup almond milk or coconut water, 1-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup, ¼ tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp kefir or natural Greek yoghurt and a pinch of sea salt and leave in the fridge to soak overnight. Serve topped with 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt, 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds and a handful of berries.
Jessica Kanerva is a BANT and CNHC registered Nutritional Therapist and is part of the food and wellbeing Therme RPC team.
News, happenings and openings
The Gothamist shares more detail on the former Jacob Riis pool set to reopen as a private members club by the end of July
A medieval board game has been discovered in a Moroccan bathhouse, reports Archaeology Magazine, leading researchers to imagine that it was part of the bathing experience
Forget forest bathing, star bathing is the internet’s latest wellness trend, according to Vice
One last thing
It’s one thing to eat after a sauna - but would you eat a Burger King in a sauna?
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We’d love to hear from you - please send a DM, or email hello@cultureofbathe-ing.com
References:
Baker, Lindsay B. 2019. “Physiology of Sweat Gland Function: The Roles of Sweating and Sweat Composition in Human Health.” Nutrients 11, no. 10: 2284. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102284.
Barwood, et. al. 2018. "The Effect of Hot and Cold Drinks on Thermoregulation, Perception, and Performance: The Role of the Gut in Thermoreception." European Journal of Applied Physiology 118: 2643–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3987-8.
Dorling, James et al. 2021. “Effects of Acute Heat and Cold Exposures at Rest or during Exercise on Subsequent Energy Intake: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Nutrients 13, no. 10: 3424. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103424.
Geerling, Joel C., and Arthur D. Loewy. 2008. “Salt Craving: The Psychobiology of Pathogenic Sodium Intake.” Physiology & Behavior 94, no. 2: 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.01.017.
Hõbepappel, Urmas, et al. 2023. Sauna: History, Culture, Health and Construction. Tartu: Populus alba.
Kitson, Olivia, et al. 2021. “Sensory Perception of an Oral Rehydration Solution during Exercise in the Heat.” Nutrients 13, no. 10: 3313. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13103313.
Leppäluoto, J. 1988. "Human Thermoregulation in Sauna." Annals of Clinical Research 20 (4): 240–43. PMID: 3218894.