Ayurveda identifies 6 types of tastes, each of which has an important role in our physiology, health, and well-being. Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. It is incredibly important to taste our foods, our herbs and our lives.
According to Ayurveda, the body has three main elements – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Whenever the balance of these elements in the body deteriorates, the person becomes ill. To avoid this, Ayurveda incorporates the 6 types of tastes prescribed in the literature. Each taste has an effect on the body as well as the mind. Also, tasting these foods is incredibly important.
All 6 types of tastes help balance an individuals doshas as well as temperature. Each type of taste affects body temperature. Just as some taste is cold, which can help you cool down, while the taste of some taste is hot, which increases the temperature of the body. All 6 types of tastes help balance our doshas.
