According to the practices of Ayurveda and yoga, it is incredibly important to taste our foods. Taste means “Rasa” in Sanskrit which means experience, enthusiasm, essence, juice. Rasa means in a real way the essence of life and quite literally affects every aspect of our being –from structure and physiology, straight through to our overall state of mind and consciousness. Our ancient practices of yogic sciences see the rasas/tastes as tremendously powerful therapeutic tool that determines not only how we experience our food, but ultimately, the overall flavor of our existence.
INTER-RELATION BETWEEN TASTE AND DOSHAS– Taste is made up of the same five elements that make up the doshas that are space, air, fire, water and earth. Each of these tastes has effect on the Doshas- Vata, Pitta and Kapha. When your doshas are out of balance, these six tastes can help you repair this imbalance. The six tastes are Sweet [MADHURA], Sour [AMLA], Salty [LAVANA], Bitter [TIKTA], Pungent [KATU] and Astringent [KASHAYA]. It is recommended to include all the six tastes in your meal. The belief is that incorporating all six tastes in your meals and adjusting the amounts to your personal constitution will help you maintain balanced nutrition and good health and feel satisfied overall.
THE SIX TASTES AND THE INDIVIDUAL– As the most things in Ayurveda, the combination of tastes that’s right for you depends a lot on the constitution, the imbalances, the age and the environment. In other words, while each of the tastes is necessary for all of us, the specifics are determined by the context of each individual and that may change overtime. A balanced diet will include an appropriate quantity of each of the six tastes, according to one’s constitution [prakriti], current state [vikriti] and season.
SWEET- DECREASES VATA AND PITTA, INCREASES KAPHA. The sweet taste is compromised of water, earth and is good for balancing vata and pitta. Of the six tastes, sweet is known to be the most grounding and nourishing. When eaten in moderation, it promotes longevity, strength and healthy bodily fluids and tissues. Sweet also increases saliva, soothes mucous membranes and burning sensations, relieves thirst, and has beneficial effects on the skin, hair, and voice. If you are trying to gain weight, sweet is the taste to emphasize its heavy, oily and moist attributes slow digestion. The sweet taste is prominent in foods such as wheat, rice, dairy, cereals, dates, pumpkins, maple syrup and licorice root.
SOUR- DECREASES VATA, INCREASES PITTA AND KAPHA. The sour taste consists of water and fire. It stimulates appetite, saliva production, and is balancing in its light, heating and oily properties. The sour taste awakens the thoughts and emotions, also improves appetite, digestion and elimination. It needs to be eaten in moderation because if eaten in excess, it can quickly lead to aggression in the body. Some of the sour foods are lemon, vinegar’s, pickled and fermented foods, tamarind wine.
SALTY- DECREASES VATA, INCREASES PITTA AND KAPHA. The salty taste consists of earth and fire. It’s best for vata because of its grounding and hydrating nature. Its heat may aggravate pitta and kapha. It also adds taste to foods. Stimulates digestion, electrolyte balance, cleanses tissues and increases absorption of minerals. However too much of salt consumption can have a negative impact on the blood and skin. Examples of salty foods are sea vegetables, sea salt, tamarind, black olives, Himalayan salt, rock salt and processed foods that contains salt, although processed foods are not an ideal or recommended source of salt.
PUNGENT- INCREASES VAT AND PITTA AND DECREASES KAPHA. Fire and air make up the pungent taste. Pungent food is the hottest of all the rasas and therefore stimulates digestion, improves appetite, clears sinuses, stimulates blood circulation and heightens the senses. Pungent food may help you think quickly and clearly, understand complicated matters more easily. Too much pungent food, however can make you overly critical. Pungent foods will aggravate pitta quickly and balance kapha. Vata handles pungent tastes best when they are combined with sour, salt, sweet or salty foods. Some examples of pungent foods are hot peppers, ginger, onions, garlic, mustard and hot spices.
BITTER- INCREASES VATA, DECREASES PITTA AND KAPHA. Bitter taste consists of air and space. it is considered the coolest and lightest of all the tastes. Because of its cool qualities, it’s highly detoxifying and can help remove waste products from the body. It has highly antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-parasitic qualities. It helps in reducing weight, water retention, skin rashes, fever, burning sensations and nausea. Bitter foods also help mental purification by freeing you from passions and sultry emotions. It’s best for pitta, good for kapha and least beneficial for vata. Among bitter foods are raw green vegetables, turmeric and green, black and most herbal teas.
ASTRINGENT- INCREASES VATA, DECREASES PITTA AND KAPHA. The astringent taste is made up of air and earth. It is cool, dry and firm. Many beans and legumes are astringent and can cause gas, which is why it should be eaten in moderation. Pitta benefits most from astringent taste’s coolness and it’s dry, light, attributes balance to kapha. Like bitter food, astringent food will help mentally purify and strengthen the individual. Some of the foods rich in astringent taste are unripe bananas, green grapes, pomegranates, cranberries, green beans, alfalfa sprouts and okra.
It doesn’t matter whether this exploration of taste is a new endeavor for you, or one you are refining with time and experience. The fact is that taste/rasa is an inherently potent means of fine tuning the flavor of your life- whether through diet, lifestyle, relationships or through the types of experiences you pursue. Evolving a deepened relationship with taste can shed light on your unique strengths, vulnerabilities and needs. At the same time, you will be implementing a powerful tool in support of your path towards perfect health.