Taste (Shadrasa)
The shadrasa
Ayurveda recognizes six tastes, or rasa, in food: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. These tastes are made up of the five elements in nature: earth, water, fire, air and the ethers. The three doshas are also made up of these elements. Vata is air and ethers; pitta is fire and water; and kapha is earth and water. When you consume any one of the six tastes, you take in their associated elements which affects the doshas. The tastes also have an effect on your emotions and your attitude in life, as outlined below.
The sweet taste
Qualities: heavy, moist, and cool
Impact on Dosha: decreases vata and pitta and increases kapha.
In Ayurveda the sweet taste indicates that the food is nourishing to the tissues of the body on all levels. Keep in mind that the Ayurvedic definition of sweet refers to foods that are rejuvenating and pleasant, not sugary. Rice, ghee, milk, ripe fruit, carrots, beets, and sweet potatoes are examples of foods with sweet as their primary taste. The sweet taste nourishes the body and mind and brings resilience and satisfaction. However, too much sweet taste in your food leads to greed and complacency.
The sour taste
Qualities: heavy, moist, and warm
Impact on Dosha: decreases vata and increases kapha and pitta.
Lemon, cheese, fermented food, yogurt, and tart apples are examples of the sour taste. An appropriate amount of the sour taste encourages elimination and improves appetite and digestion. Psychologically, it improves discrimination and ability to use the intellect. In excess, the sour taste leads to being judgmental and eventually jealous and envious.
The salty taste
Qualities: heavy, moist, and warm
Impact on Dosha: decreases vata and increases kapha and pitta.
Sea vegetables such as kombu, hijiki and arame are good sources of the salty taste, and of course it is found primarily in natural rock and sea salts. It assists with elimination and softens body tissue leading to flexibility and suppleness. It is grounding to the mind, reduces fear, and encourages enthusiasm for life. However, too much of the salty taste leads to rigidity, bravado, craving, and indulgence in sensory pleasures.
The bitter taste
Qualities: light, dry, cold
Impact on Dosha: decreases pitta and kapha and increases vata.
The bitter taste is prominent in leafy greens, endive, eggplant, bitter melon, and coffee. Purifying and drying, it helps return all tastes to a balanced place. It also increases appetite and is an anti-aphrodisiac. In appropriate amounts, the bitter taste is sobering and promotes spiritual growth. However, too much of the bitter taste leads to discontent, disillusionment, a bitter attitude, dissatisfaction, and an inability to grow.
The pungent taste
Qualities: light, dry, hot
Impact on Dosha: increases pitta and vata and decreases kapha.
Sattvic and balancing choices of the pungent taste include ginger, black pepper, and many other spices. Some vegetables such as radish or mustard greens are also predominantly pungent. The pungent taste encourages the body to let go of secretions such as breast milk, semen, and fat and improves appetite. The appropriate amount encourages extroversion and transformation. However, too much of the pungent taste leads to impatience, passion, intensity, and anger. Some pungent foods, including garlic, onion, and chili peppers, are not recommended due to their rajasic nature and imbalancing effect on agni and dosha (hello pitta!).
The astringent taste
Qualities: light, dry, cool
Impact on Dosha: decreases kapha and pitta and increases vata
Legumes, cruciferous vegetables, cranberries, pomegranate and rye have significant astringency, which is healing, purifying, and constricting in the body. It reduces secretions and is an anti-aphrodisiac. The astringent taste leads to introversion, the appropriate amount of which promotes equanimity. However, too much introversion makes you closed off, constricted, dull, and insecure. You become dried up, so to speak.
Ideally, all of the six tastes would be included in each meal, but not in equal amounts in a meal. For example, you only need a little sour, salty and pungent tastes in a dish. The tendency when out of balance is to crave one or two tastes and overdoing those tastes, forgetting the others. Following cravings for one or two tastes will contribute to further imbalance of the doshas.
Remember, also, that Ayurveda is a science based in nature, so consume each rasa from a natural source. It is not an Ayurvedic approach to add refined sugar or heavily processed salt to balance the tastes. Each of the six tastes are present in nature, and can be found in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, herbs, oils and spices.
The principles “like qualities attract like and the opposite qualities bring balance” are key Ayurvedic principles to guide you to balance the doshas. A common misconception about Ayurveda is that you must completely eliminate the tastes that increase your primary dosha(s). This is an extreme approach that is not holistic and will lead to more imbalance. The goal of Ayurveda is to move toward your individual balance, your prakruti. Do this by having all six tastes in moderation. This simple approach works well.
How to feel satiated
A balanced meal that integrates all six tastes not only supports digestion, but it will taste delicious and leave you feeling satisfied. With a balance of the tastes your body senses the presence of all five elements from nature in appropriate amounts and creates satiation. As stated previously, this doesn't mean that the five elements are in equal proportion. For example, the fire element is present and strong in the salty and sour tastes. Overdoing these tastes brings imbalance through excess heat in the body and mind. However, when salty and sour tastes are cooked into a meal in small, appropriate amounts, they are supportive of digestion and elimination. Taken together with the other four tastes you will feel satiated and content.
