The Six Tastes of Ayurveda

  • SWEET (EARTH + WATER)

    Increases Kapha

    Decreases Vata & Pitta

    • Most grains: wheat, rice, barley corn

    • Most legumes: beans, lentils, peas

    • Milk and sweet milk products: cream, butter, ghee

    • Sweet fruits: dates, figs, grapes, pears, mangoes

    • Certain cooked vegetables, starchy tubers: potato, sweet potato, carrot, beets

    • Sugar in any form

  • SOUR (EARTH + FIRE)

    Increases Pitta & Kapha

    Decreases Vata

    • Sour fruits: lemon, lime, sour oranges

    • Sour milk products: yoghurt, cheese, sour cream, whey

    • Fermented foods: wine, vinegar, soy sauce, sauerkraut, pickles

  • SALTY (WATER + FIRE)

    Increases Pitta & Kapha

    Decreases Vata

    • Any kind of salt: sea salt / rock salt

    • Foods with a lot of added salt like pickles and chips

  • PUNGENT (SPICY) (FIRE + AIR)

    Increases Vata & Pitta

    Decreases Kapha

    • Spices: chilli, black pepper, mustard seeds, ginger, cumin

    • Certain vegetables: radish, onions, garlic

  • BITTER (AIR + SPACE)

    Increases Vata & Pitta

    Decreases Kapha

    • Spices: chilli, black pepper, mustard seeds, ginger, cumin

    • Certain vegetables: radish, onions, garlic

  • ASTRINGENT (AIR + EARTH)

    Increases Vata

    Decreases Pitta & Kapha

    • Legumes, beans, lentils

    • Walnuts, hazelnuts

    • Honey

    • Sprouts, lettuce, green leafy vegetables, rhubarb, most raw vegetables

    • Pomegranate, apples, berries, persimmons, cashew, unripe fruits

    • Miso, Green Tea, Wine

Breaking Down the Experience of Taste

One of the foundational teachings of the Ayurvedic tradition is that everything in the universe is composed of five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and ether (space). The tastes are no different; each of them contains all five elements. That said, each taste is predominantly composed of two elements.

According to Ayurveda, taste (known as rasa) is an incredibly powerful healing tool that impacts not only our experience with food, but also shapes our overall life experience and body-mind-emotional bodies.

Thus, taste can tell us a great deal not only about what we are ingesting, but also about the physical and energetic qualities we’re taking in as a result.

Balance with Tastes…

Vata Dosha is balanced by sweet, sour and salty

Pitta Dosha is balanced by sweet, bitter and astringent

Kapha Dosha is balanced by pungent, bitter and astringent

VATA, PITTA, KAPHA

How to Achieve Optimal Balance with Tastes