Data from online platforms also confirm the trend. On Taobao Flash Sale, orders for amaranth since March have surged 2.3 times month-on-month, orders for broad beans have more than doubled, and orders for alfalfa greens and shepherd’s purse both doubled. In addition, orders for coarse grains such as oats and buckwheat climbed 87 percent, as consumers shift from heavy winter diets to fresher and healthier spring food, according to data sent by Alibaba to the Global Times on Sunday.

　　Since mid-March, national search volume for spring vegetables on Meituan has increased by 17.4 percent year-on-year, according to data provided by Meituan to the Global Times on Sunday. Demand for spring delicacies has also boosted seasonal catering: searches for spring vegetable congee rose 85.4 percent, stir-fried spring vegetables 91.9 percent, and spring vegetable rice 108.9 percent year-on-year, according to Meituan.

　　Retailers have also introduced innovative seasonal produce to meet diverse consumer needs.

　　According to Taobao Flash Sale, this year has seen an explosion of creative qingtuan flavors. Innovative sweet options including red bean with malted milk, coconut durian, and Thai salted cheese have emerged, offering consumers refreshing new taste experiences. Orders for qingtuan on the platform skyrocketed 690 percent month-on-month in March.

　　Meanwhile, orders for seasonal snacks such as cherry blossom biscuits, spring bean biscuits, and mugwort whole-wheat tortillas have kept growing. Popular spring drinks including cherry blossom lattes, cherry blossom milkshakes, and mulberry-themed bottled have become must-haves for camping, according to Taobao.

　　On Douyin, views of spring tea-related products have skyrocketed by 1,140 percent year-on-year since the start of spring, with Longjing tea alone seeing a 484 percent increase, the Economic Information Daily reported.