The six Tastes

It’s not just the Qualities of the food we eat that matter, but also the Tastes. There are six defining Tastes (known as Rasas) in Ayurveda: sweet, astringent, sour, salty, pungent and bitter. In Western cuisine, only five of these Tastes are recognised. The sixth one, which may seem unfamiliar, is ‘astringent’, which is more of a sensation of dryness than a flavour. Think of the tannins in tea, the taste of broccoli or the feeling of a green banana or orange or lemon pith on your tongue.

There’s much more to the Tastes than flavour. Just as for the Doshas, each Taste is composed of two of the five Elements, and therefore each Taste corresponds to one or more Doshas. Any Taste eaten in excess will aggravate its relative Dosha, and in the same vein, opposing Tastes can help to pacify each Dosha. As all the Elements have specific Qualities too (for example, Air is mobile, cool, light, dry, rough) knowing the Elements of the six Tastes makes it easy to understand their influence on our mental and physical state. See the Star of Ayurveda here to find out which Qualities and Tastes pertain to each Dosha, and then note which Qualities and Tastes are opposites.

The concept that taste is important to health might seem strange, but through the pleasure of eating foods we are able to assess better whether they are suited to us and in what amounts they are needed. Just as we might have cravings for the wrong foods, with the knowledge of Ayurveda we can intuitively seek out those that we need to bring balance. With your tastebuds tuned in, you will be able to discern the Elements in foods and can distinguish what you need, how much and when.

Below you will find a chart detailing which of the two Elements can be found in each of the six Tastes. Consequently you can see which Tastes should be eaten frequently according to the Doshas, as well as which should be enjoyed in lesser amounts in order to bring or maintain balance. By understanding the taste of foods you can work out what should make up the bulk of your day-to-day diet. For example, if your dominant Dosha is Vata or your Vata is aggravated, you should enjoy sweet, salty and sour foods in the majority of your meals – one example might be salmon or rice (sweet) with seaweed (salty) and a squeeze of lime (sour), avoiding large amounts of leafy greens and spices in order to keep pungent, bitter and astringent foods on the down-low. Using this as a guide, you can then adapt any of the recipes in the book to suit you.

Every Taste is important in satisfying our overall health – from how much a meal hits the spot to how good we continue to feel a long time after eating it. That’s where cooking comes in, and the art of putting a meal together to make sure that every Taste is satisfied in the ratios that are personal to you – not just for your basic mind–body type (see here) but for your current type at any given time. You might think that cooking is complicated enough without having to worry about including every Taste and in varying amounts, but that’s the beauty of the Ayurvedic intuition that you will come to inhabit. And even if you have to keep checking at first, it becomes a very useful tool for self-diagnosis, while giving you the means to tackle the problem. The basic rule is to vary the ingredients to make your meals so that you don’t overeat foods and to team them with a selection of pickles and chutneys to add pronounced Tastes where necessary. Overall, one of the easiest ways is the regular use of ‘masalas’ or spice mixes, which can be created to suit each Dosha (see here) and if you really like cooking, you can experiment with the real Taste showstopper: the Thali (see here).

A ‘complete and balanced meal’ should not only consist of all six Tastes to suit an individual’s balance, but ideally also these Tastes should be eaten in order, starting with sweet, then salty, sour, pungent, bitter and finally astringent. That’s right, a meal should begin with sweet! As you’ll see below, it’s the most nourishing, as well as the heaviest, food to digest, and therefore you will feel satisfied by a meal much earlier. Consider how we usually start a meal with something salty and end with something sweet; that’s why we can be left feeling overly full after a meal with pudding, yet not quite satisfied if we go without it. Try eating a small amount of dessert, pudding or simply a ladoo (see here) before a meal and see how this changes your overall eating experience. At my pop-up cafe we served a ladoo, digestive Lassi (see here) and main course for lunch as the ‘Surya Agni Trio’.

SWEET EARTH + WATER			Most fruit, milk, cream, honey, liquorice, most nuts, cinnamon, cardamom, rice and other heavy complex carbs, fats and oils including ghee, meats.
BALANCES:			The sweet Taste of foods is the most nourishing of all, which explains why we are so drawn to it. It’s body-building, gives us energy, enhances fertility and helps us feel love, happiness and satisfaction. Too much causes congestion, sluggishness indigestion, obesity, diabetes and oily skin, and can make us feel greedy, needy, lethargic and lazy.
AGGRAVATES:
SOUR EARTH + FIRE			Citrus fruit, cheese, vinegar, wine, raisins, tamarind, miso, wine, fermented foods, yoghurt and strawberries.
BALANCES:			The sour Taste boosts digestion and elimination, wakes you up and helps to clarify thoughts and emotions if dosed correctly. Too much results in acidity, ulcers, heartburn, rashes and muscle weakness, and can quickly lead to aggression, jealousy and resentment.
AGGRAVATES:
SALTY FIRE + WATER			Seafood, celery, seaweed, tamari, salt.
BALANCES:			The salty Taste adds flavour, stimulates digestion and aids circulation. Rounding and hydrating, it brings solidity and structure, giving you mental ease, confidence and a zest for life. Too much promotes addiction, attachment and greed.
AGGRAVATES:
PUNGENT/SPICY FIRE + AIR			Onion, leek, garlic, turnips, horseradish, asafoetida, cayenne, cumin, paprika, black pepper, cocoa, coffee, chilli and ginger.
BALANCES:			The pungent Taste is is an appetiser; it clears phlegm, has antifungal and antibacterial properties, stimulates digestion, and helps motivate us and make sense of complicated matters. Too much causes infections, intense perspiration, diarrhoea, acid indigestion, dehydration and ulcers and makes us irritable, angry and aggressive.
AGGRAVATES:
ASTRINGENT AIR + EARTH			Pasta, broccoli, potatoes, parsley, apples, pomegranates, pears, unripe bananas, artichokes, lettuce, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, rosemary, nutmeg, beans, lentils and green and black tea.
BALANCES:			Astringent Taste increases nutrient absorption, stops bleeding, shrinks pores, reduces sweating and leaves you feeling optimistic, helping you feel stabilised, centred and unified. Too much causes slow digestion, gas, constipation and dryness, and can leave us fearful, insecure, anxious and depressed.
AGGRAVATES:
BITTER AIR + SPACE			Bitter greens such as dandelion, dark leafy greens, mustard seeds, neem, green tea and aubergines.
BALANCES:			The bitter Taste is physically and mentally purifying, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, skin toning and liver cleansing; it encourages weight loss and brings insight and mental clarity. Too much can deplete bodily tissues, cause constipation, insomnia, low blood pressure, premature wrinkles and provoke feelings of loneliness, dissatisfaction and cynicism.
AGGRAVATES: