Chinese doctor Sun Simiao pointed out back in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) that people should eat more sweet and less sour food in spring to protect their digestive systems. It coincides with modern findings that spring is a time when gastritis and digestive ailments often occur.

Most recommended for spring are Chinese dates and yams, which can enhance human immune systems and protect digestive systems. A congee cooked with Chinese dates, yams, millet and rice is easy to prepare and also good and healthy.

Other mildly sweet foods good for spring consumption are glutinous rice, sorghum, various beans, cabbage, spinach, carrot, potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, dry longan, horse nut, Jew's ear fungi and other mushrooms. Traditional Chinese wisdom also warns against foods with "cooling" functions such as cucumbers and green bean sprouts. Warming foods -- such as ginger, onions and leeks -- are good for this time of year.

For those who live in North China where spring is often windy and dry, foods that will soothe a dry throat and keep the body hydrated are recommended. Honey, pears, bananas, lily bulbs, sugarcane and white radish fall into this category.

Apart from sour food like plums and hawthorn fruit, oily fried food should be avoided, especially by people with chronic liver disease.

Spring recipes:

1. Honey radish juice

Take 500 grams of white radish, wash clean, peel and make juice, then mix in 20 grams of honey for every 60 ml of radish juice.

2. Lily bulb steamed with sugar

Take 50 grams of lily bulb and 50 grams of honey, wash the bulb clean, then mix it with honey and steam for an hour.

3. Pear confection

Take 500 grams of pear, wash clean, peel and keep only the pulp. Boil the pulp and add 250 grams of honey. Cook the pulp thoroughly and store in a container after it cools.

4. Sugarcane congee

Take 500 grams of sugarcane and extract the juice. Cook congee with 60 grams of rice, pour in 60 ml of sugarcane juice, put it on the stove and bring to the boil.

5. Lily bulb and lotus seed congee

Take 30 grams of lily bulb, the same amount of lotus seeds and rock candy and 100 grams of rice. Cook the lily bulb, lotus seeds and rice together. Add in rock candy when the congee is done.

(Edited by Stephanie Yang)