Traditional Hindu / Ayurveda = 6 Tastes

From the Dr. Oz website

By Kulreet Chaudhary, M.D.

What Is taste?

According to ayurveda, taste is “the sensation the tongue experiences” when you eat. Having diverse tastes in your meals helps to satisfy cravings and prevents overeating. Although we spend a lot of time evaluating the carbohydrate, fat and protein content of our food, we rarely think about the variety of taste of the foods we eat.

It is easy to think of examples of sweet tastes (apple pie), salty tastes (potato chips) and sour tastes (lemons). But how often do you think of bitter, pungent and astringent foods? Each taste is necessary in order for your mind to feel satiated after a meal.

Examples of the 6 Tastes

Sweet

• Most grains such as wheat, rice, barley and corn
• Pulses (legumes), i.e. beans, lentils and peas
• Milk and sweet milk products such as ghee, cream and butter
• Sweet fruits (especially dried) such as dates, figs, grapes, pear, coconut and mango
• Cooked vegetables such as potato, sweet potato, carrot, beetroot, cauliflower, and string beans
• Sugar in any form such as raw, refined, brown, white, molasses and sugar cane juice

Sour

• Sour fruits such as lemon, lime, sour orange, sour pineapple, passion fruit, sour cherries, plum and tamarind
• Sour milk products such as yogurt, cheese, whey and sour cream
• Fermented substances (other than cultured milk products) such as wine, vinegar, soy sauce or sour cabbage
• Carbonated beverages (including soft drinks or beer)

Salty

• Any kind of salt such as rock salt, sea salt and salt from the ground
• Any food to which salt has been added

Pungent

• Spices such as chili, black pepper, mustard seeds, ginger, cumin, cloves, cardamom and garlic
• Mild spices such as turmeric, anise, cinnamon, and fresh herbs such as oregano, thyme and mint
• Raw vegetables such as radish, onion and cauliflower

Bitter

• Vegetables such as chicory and bitter gourd; other green leafy vegetables such as spinach, green cabbage and brussels sprouts
• Fruits such as olives, grapefruit and cocoa
• Spices such as fenugreek and turmeric

Astringent

• Turmeric, honey, walnuts and hazelnuts
• Pulses such as beans, lentils, peas
• Vegetables such as sprouts, lettuce and other green leafy vegetables; most raw vegetables
• Fruits such as pomegranate, berries, persimmon, rose, apple and most unripe fruits