In Ayurveda, the six tastes are the key to unlocking nature’s pharmacy. Understanding rasa or taste allows you to be your own healer - you’ll know what tastes balance your dosha type (prakrti) and how to eat for current imbalances (vikrti) as well as the season (ritu).
The six tastes are:
Madhura // Sweet
Lavana // Salty
Amla // Sour
Katu // Pungent
Tikta // Bitter
Kshaya // Astringent
The sweet taste consists of the Earth + Water elements and acts on the Thyroid + Lungs.
Its qualities are heavy + cooling + oily.
Sweet taste pacifies vata and pitta and increases kapha.
Honey, dates, maple syrup and licorice are intensely sweet. Milk, rice and wheat are mildly sweet. Sweet taste is best sourced from naturally sweet foods rather than added sugar. Try sweet fruits like figs, peaches, pears, apples and berries.
Sweet taste enhances the vital essence of life, Ojas. It is anabolic and nourishes all bodily tissues. Proper use gives strength and encourages the senses, improves complexion, promotes healthy skin and hair and a melodious voice. Sweet taste relieves thirst and burning sensations. Emotionally, it is comforting and grounding.
Too much sweet can aggravate kapha and cause cold, cough, congestion, heaviness, loss of appetite, laziness and obesity. Over-intake diminishes the body’s healing capacity because sweet is the best media for bacteria, fungi and parasites to grow.
The salty taste consists of the Water + Fire elements and acts on the Kidneys.
Its qualities are heating + heavy + oily.
It is hydrophilic in nature, pacifies vata and increases pitta and kapha.
Table salt, sea salt, rock salt, sesame salt, seaweed and tamari are all naturally salty. Mineral rock salt (pink salt) is the least heating and most balancing because of its minerals.
The salty taste is laxative, anti-spasmodic and digestive - aiding salivation, absorption and elimination of wastes. It is anti-flatulent, removing gas from the colon. When taken in moderation, it promotes growth, gives energy and maintains the electrolyte balance. Salt improves the flavor of all foods. It enhances experience and the senses.
In excess, salt causes retention, thickening of the blood, narrowing of blood vessels, producing hypertension or high blood pressure. Too much salt can create edema, swelling, heat sensations, wrinkles, hair loss, ulcers, bleeding disorders and hyperacidity.
The sour taste consists of the Earth + Fire elements and acts on the Lungs.
Its qualities are liquid + light + heating + oily.
It pacifies vata and increases pitta and kapha.
You’ll find the sour taste in foods like sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, cheese, citrus fruits, kiwi, unripe mango, green grapes and fermented foods.
The sour taste stimulates salivation, appetite and digestive juices. It enhances the senses, is anti-spasmodic and anti-flatulent. In small doses, it increases secretions and eliminates kapha. It brings comprehension, appreciation, recognition and discrimination.
In large doses, it creates congestion, inflammation, indigestion and skin rashes. It can be toxic to the blood, cause burning sensations, diarrhea, edema and damp lungs. In excess, it encourages judgment, criticism, jealousy and hate.
The pungent taste consists of the Air + Fire elements and acts on the Stomach + Heart.
Its qualities are light + drying + heating.
It pacifies kapha but aggravates pitta and vata. A little pungent is good for vata but too much is ultimately drying.
Many foods such as cayenne, chili pepper, black pepper, mustard, ginger, onion, radish and garlic have the pungent taste.
When used in moderation, it kindles agni, improves digestion and absorption and cleans the mouth. It clears the sinuses, liquifying kapha dosha. It aids circulation, breaking up blockages, scrapes fat and helps with elimination. It brings clarity, enthusiasm, vitality and vigor. It helps the mind become sharp and focused.
When overused in the daily diet, it can kill sperm and ova, cause burning, fainting, hiccoughs and fatigue. It aggravates pitta, causing diarrhea, heartburn and nausea. Peptic ulcers, colitis and skin conditions. Too much pungent taste can lead to anger, violence, irritability, envy, jealousy and aggression.
The bitter taste consists of the Air + Ether elements and acts of the Pancreas + Liver + Spleen.
Its qualities are cool + light + dry.
It pacifies pitta and kapha and aggravates vata.
The bitter taste is found in coffee, dark chocolate, dandelion root and leaves, turmeric, aloe vera, fenugreek, neem and bitter melon. Bitter taste enhances all other tastes. It is cooling, anti-inflammatory, anti-toxic, kills germs, laxative and cleansing to the liver. It stimulates digestion, relieves gas, and scrapes fat and toxins. It promotes detachment from temptation.
In excess, it causes dryness, roughness, emaciation and depletes the bodily tissues. It inhibits sexual energy - a benefit to those practicing celibacy. Too much bitter taste makes a person cynical and boring; leading to separation, isolation and loneliness.
The astringent taste consists of the Air + Earth elements and acts on the Colon.
Its qualities are cool + dry + heavy.
It pacifies pitta and kapha and aggravates vata.
Foods that have a drying taste sensation are astringent - unripe banana, pomegranate, chickpeas and lentils, okra, turmeric, lotus seed, alfalfa sprouts and most raw vegetables.
Astringent taste improves absorption and binds the stool. It is anti-inflammatory, decongestant and anti-diarrheal. It scrapes fat, promotes clotting and aids in healing ulcers. It is supportive and grounding, helping the mind to collect itself and organize.
In excess, it causes constipation, dryness, spasms and stagnation in circulation. Too much can make the mind scattered, lead to insomnia, anxiety and nervousness. There is also a rigid, fixed quality which can cause harshness.
- From Dr. Lad’s The Textbook of Ayurveda, Vol. 1
