There are many different tastes to food and you might think that eating things that are sweet, salty, bitter etc. is just a matter of, well, taste, but the Ayurvedic tradition says that these tastes are actually intrinsic to your wellbeing. In Ayurveda, the foods you eat are assigned to six tastes, or rasas, and it is believed that your wellness depends on a balance of six rasas; you should endeavour to include the six tastes in every meal, where possible.
Each of the six rasas, sweet, sour, salt, pungent, bitter and astringent, ensures a healthy digestive system and fewer toxins being absorbed by your body. Each one serves a purpose, and works for your physical and emotional wellbeing. Firstly, the sweet rasa, which comes in foods like rice, wheat, milk, date, sugar, potato and ghee, provides your body with energy and vitality, and is good for health of skin and hair.
Next the sour rasa keeps your body warm and enhances your enhances appetite and digestion. Tamarind, yoghurt, tomatoes, gooseberry, sea food and alcohol are examples of sour rasa, but when consumed in excess, this group can cause indigestion, hyperacidity and ulcers. The salt rasa also works to warm the body and improve digestion, as well as promoting growth in the body. This group consists of table and rock salt, funnily enough, which, if eaten in excess, can cause sluggish lymphatic drainage, water retention and hypertension.
The pungent rasa, which comes from ginger, garlic, onion, chilli, tulsi and pepper, helps in breaking down fat, aids digestion and absorption, and activates blood circulation, but it can cause stomach irritation, heart burn and nausea when consumed in excess. Bitter gourd and spinach belongs to the bitter rasa, which is good for digestion and enhances liver function and muscle tone. Finally, the astringent rasa has anti-inflammatory properties and helps in absorption of nutrients, though it can cause constipation. Examples of this rasa are tea, coffee, pomegranate, asparagus, cauliflower and figs.
Not only should you be getting your six rasas in each meal, but in a certain order too. Ayurveda emphasises beginning with mild-tasting dishes that have an underlying sweet flavour, followed by the other rasas in this order: sour, salt, pungent, bitter and astringent. Then top it off with something sweet and you won’t feel bloated, tired, or nauseous after a meal.
Comments are closed.