Ayurvedic medicine recognises six tastes (Rasas): sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. These Rasas have the greatest influence on the human organism due to their Dosha properties.
The taste of food has a direct effect on the balance of the Doshas; for example, they can have a heating or cooling, drying or moisturising effect on the tissues in the body. If you suffer from an imbalance in this regard, you can restore balance with the right foods.
The Rasas also influence the optimal metabolism of meals. Sweet, salty, sour, spicy, bitter and astringent should be part of every main meal and, in the case of several courses, should also be eaten in this order.
At Ayurveda Parkschlösschen, for example, dessert is always served first.
The reason for this is that sweet flavours, known as Madhura Rasa, are heavy and nourishing. When consumed at the beginning of a meal, the digestive fire (= Agni) is still strong and can better digest sweet and hard-to-digest foods. Sweet dishes often take longer to digest. According to Ayurveda, if they lie on top of food that has already been digested or is half-digested, this can lead to fermentation, flatulence and Ama (= undigested metabolic residues). By eating lighter components afterwards, we do not overload our Agni.
Understanding the effects of food can help to keep the Doshas in balance. Just like the Doshas, foods also have specific tastes and certain qualities.
Vata ↑ spicy, bitter, astringent
Vata ↓ sweet, sour, salty
Pitta ↑ spicy, salty, sour
Pitta ↓ bitter, astringent, sweet
Kapha ↑ sweet, sour, salty
Kapha ↓ spicy, bitter, astringent
Examples of foods:
Sweet (heavy, wet, cold):
cereals, rice, millet, barley, couscous, etc., potatoes, sugar, honey, milk
Sour (light, wet, hot):
Vinegar, yoghurt, cheese, citrus fruits, fermented foods, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, mustard
Salty (heavy, wet, hot):
All types of salt, seaweed, soy sauce, all salted and especially processed foods (Ayurveda favours rock salt because it contains many minerals)
Astringent (light, dry, hot):
unripe persimmons and bananas, apples, pears, green beans, Brussels sprouts, chickpeas, quinoa, legumes, tofu, turmeric
Bitter (light, dry, hot):
aloe vera, leafy vegetables, barley, pomegranate, fenugreek, turmeric, basil, coffee, black tea
Spicy (heavy, dry, hot):
hot spices, mustard, ginger, onion, garlic, radish
