August 8 is the Beginning of Autumn, or Liqiu, in China's 24 solar terms. After Liqiu, the temperature will begin to fall gradually. In early autumn, when the weather is still hot in the daytime but cool at night, a healthy diet should include ingredients like pumpkin or lotus seeds which are nourishing.

Pumpkin It is always dry in autumn. Many people's lips and skin are dry and chapped. β-carotene in pumpkins can be changed into vitamin A, and pumpkins contain vitamin E. These two kinds of vitamins can improve our body's dry condition. Also, in traditional Chinese medical science, pumpkin is considered good for the stomach and spleen.

Recipe:

Creamy pumpkin soup:

Pumpkin 600 grams

Milk 300 grams

Sugar

Method:

1 Peel the pumpkin and remove the inside part with seeds. Cut it into pieces.

2 Steam the pieces for 10-15 minutes until they are very soft.

3 Mash the steamed pumpkin. Put it in a pot, heat it with low heat.

4 Pour milk and put sugar into the pot and stir.

Corn pumpkin soup

Pumpkin 600 grams

Corn meal 20 grams

Glutinous rice flour 20 grams

Sugar

*You can put in more corn meal and glutinous rice flour if you like thick soup.

Method:

1 Peel the pumpkin and remove the inside part with seeds. Cut it into pieces.

2 Steam the pieces for 10-15 minutes until they are very soft.

3 Mash the steamed pumpkin.

4 Pour cool water into the pot and add in corn meal and glutinous rice flour, then stir.

5 Add in sugar and boil the mixture. Stir while boiling to prevent the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

6 After it is boiled, add the smashed pumpkin. Boil it again.