Digestive Health Series No. 3 The 6 Tastes

Welcome to the 3rd Blog in the Digestive Health Series. Catch up here if you would love to catch up on the previous blogs; What is digestive health and Agni!

If you are ever stuck for an idea for a meal combination that’s great for overall health and wellbeing, the 6 tastes are an ideal place to get inspiration!

You might find you instinctively include all 6 tastes in your meals already!

Find out more below on what the 6 tastes are and why they are important!

What are the 6 tastes

The 6 tastes, as outlined below, are qualities found in foods that can help provide a balanced diet. A balanced diet is incredibly unique to the individual and depends upon their natural constitution (Prakriti) and what they are experiencing at the moment (Vikriti), you can also include the seasonal experience here too.

When looking to include the 6 tastes in your diet to suit you, you will likely vary the amount and prevalence of each taste accordingly.

Overall, these are the 6 tastes according to Ayurvedic principles:

Sweet, Sour, Salty, Pungent, Bitter and Astringent.

The 6 tastes and the elements

As everything is made up of the five elements (water, fire, air, ether and earth), the 6 tastes are no exception and each taste is made up of two of the elements, and reflect an experience in the doshas too (for more information on doshas see my previous Ayurvedic blog).

Below you will find some information on the tastes, and some examples of the types of foods that are associated for each taste:

Sweet (Water and Earth elements). This is a wonderful taste to balance the Vata and Pitta doshas. This taste is grounding and nourishing promoting strength and repair. It is great to focus on this taste if you are looking to gain weight for example, due to it’s heavy, moist, oily and slow attributes.

Examples of foods with a prominent sweet taste include dates, rice, bananas, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, cashews, milk, nutmeg, cinnamon.

This does not mean processed foods and specifically processed sugar. It can however include maple syrup.

Sour (Water and Fire elements). This is a wonderful taste to stimulate the appetite and digestion and elimination due to it’s light, oily and heating qualities. Great if you are feeling sluggish.

Examples of foods with a prominent sour taste include lemons, fermented foods, cheese, tomatoes and garlic.

Salty (Earth and Fire elements). This is a great taste to balance Vata. However it is important to avoid processed foods and an excess of salt in the diet as this can impact the blood and skin quality. However for Vata included in considered amounts and appropriate sources, it is grounding and warming.

Examples of foods with a prominent salty taste include Rock / Himalayan rock salt, seaweed, celery and cottage cheese.

Pungent (Fire and Air elements). It is a wonderful taste to balance and get moving the kapha dosha with it’s heating qualities. However, it is likely to aggravate Pitta quickly. It also helps to balance Vata when in combination with sour, sweet or salty foods.

Examples of foods with a prominent pungent taste include onions, chilli, mustard seeds, raw spinach and radishes.

Bitter (Air and Space elements). It is a wonderful taste for balancing pitta and kapha with it’s cooling qualities and can help detoxify the body.

Examples of foods with a prominent bitter taste include raw green vegetables, turmeric, black and green teas.

Astringent (Air and Earth elements). It is a wonderful taste for balancing Pitta and Kapha given its cool, light and dry qualities. Great for detoxifying and providing strength and repair.

Examples of foods with a prominent astringent taste include okra, green beans, green grapes, cranberries, parsley and chickpeas.

Overall benefits of the 6 tastes

If you are experiencing imbalance or illness for example, using the 6 tastes can help bring you back into your own unique balance. It is an important aspect to look at digestive health and not to overlook the 6 tastes when repairing, recovering physiologically and mentally.

Knowledge of the 6 tastes helps you find this balance by minimising, pairing and encouraging certain foods to find that balance. In addition to this, it is thought that the 6 tastes can help encourage optimal health and longevity.

If you are looking to focus more on the 6 tastes to manage an imbalance, do feel free to get in touch with an Ayurvedic Practitioner, such as myself to help guide you. To book in with me follow this link.

What is an example of a meal that includes the 6 tastes?

Kichadi or Khichari is one of the most revered meal in Ayurveda for its sattvic qualities, e.g. creating feelings of happiness, contentment etc.. This is a great meal if you are looking to reset the digestive system as it is easy to digest, and is my go to if i’m feeling a bit low on energy. Here is a great recipe…

Khichari Recipe

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1/2 cup buckwheat groats (Pungent)

1/2 cup mung beans (pre soaked – see pack instructions, between 8-12 hours prior)  (Sweet)

1 died onion (Pungent)

2 finely diced garlic cloves (Pungent)

2 teaspoon mustard seeds (Pungent)

2 teaspoon cumin (Bitter)

2 teaspoon curry powder (Several tastes!)

Pinch of chilli flakes (Pungent)

Half a red chilli, finely chopped (Pungent)

A small pinch of salt (Salty)

2 cups chopped mushrooms (Sweet)

2 sweet potatoes chopped into chunks (Sweet)

2-3 big handfuls of fresh spinach (Bitter and Astringent)

Handful of fresh coriander (Astringent)

Juice of one fresh lemon (Sour)

*Add more warming spices if you can such as ginger.

Instructions:

-Soak the mung beans according to instructions (around 12 hours).

-Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

-Place the sweet potatoes on a baking tray, drizzle with rapeseed oil and place in the oven to roast.

-Rinse soaked mung beans and cover with water, bring to the boil and then continue to simmer for 30 mins.

-Add buckwheat and simmer for a further 10 – 15 minutes. Drain and leave to the side, and take potatoes out of the oven

-In a large frying pan heat the ghee and fry the onions and garlic with the mustard seeds until the seeds are starting to pop.

-Add the fresh chilli, curry powder, chilli flakes and cumin.

-Add the mushrooms and cook until moist. Add the spinach and when it begins to wilt, turn the heat off, add the sweet potato, mung beans and buckwheat and combine.

-Stir through and serve with lemon squeezed.

*Recipe adapted from Mind Body Medical.