Healthy eating equals a healthy body -- a fact not lost with Cantonese people, who take a great deal of care to reduce their "inner heat", to maintain a balance in the hot humid South China climate.

Generations of Cantonese people have preserved and passed on their rich legacy of food therapies, so that today these Cantonese self-medication traditions are alive and well, based on a wide variety of easily available and inexpensive foods.

Today's food and drink section introduces a selection of tasty Cantonese snacks that help to keep you in tip-top shape.

Sweet potato syrup (fanshu tangshui)

Rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and sugar, eating sweet potato during the summer will help satisfy your body's nutritional needs and reduce your "inner heat".

To prepare, wash and peel the sweet potatoes, chop into chunks and boil in water for about 15 minutes, adding sugar. The resulting sweet potato syrup is then ready to eat.

Sweet-sour plum juice (suanmei tang)

Drinking sweet-sour plum juice after exercise is a good way to replenish lost salts and water, and to prevent heatstroke. Additional uses include as a supplement to promote good intestinal health, to help settle stomach illnesses, and to nourish the throat and reduce thirst. To make up the juice, simply boil up preserved plums (20 grams), licorice root (10 grams) and sugar to taste.

Ginger milk (jiangzhuang nai)

Another favorite Cantonese summer food, ginger milk reduces inner heat effectively and is delicious too! Made with ginger, milk and sugar, the preparation of ginger milk is quite an art, with the aim being to produce a thick and pudding-like soup.

In Guangdong, many people drink ginger milk after being caught in the rain.

Ginkgo orange custard (xiangcheng baiguo geng)

Ginkgo is a precious medicinal herb, extracted from the green leaves of the Ginkgo tree, which grows very slowly and takes more than ten years to blossom and bear fruit.

Ginkgo, which is highly effective in reducing inflammation and improving circulation, is used throughout the world to treat cardiovascular problems and lung disorders.

In food it goes well with vitamin C-rich oranges, with many people swearing that this mixture works wonders for their health. The preparation of Ginkgo orange custard is again something of a work of art.

To make, boil the ginkgo to reduce its bitterness and then stir in a mixer. Cut away a section of peel from one end of the orange to form a "lid", and use a spoon to dig out the pulp, so you are left with the orange peel as a complete whole.

Squeeze out the juice of the orange pulp using a juicer or juice extractor. Then mix the mashed ginkgo with orange juice in the orange and add a dash of sugar. Using the piece of peel cut away to form a lid, seal the orange and stew for twenty minutes.

Winter melon soup (donggua tang)

Herbal soups are a must eat dish for all Cantonese in the summer. To make, braise winter melon and lean pork over a low heat and leave cooking for a whole day, after which the soup will be ready.

Cantonese believe that drinking soup everyday in the summer helps keep you fit and makes your skin smooth. Soup is also thought to help ease stress and unclog your digestive system.

Editor: Donald