Six Taste Philosophy

I was trained as a chef in the US and France and worked as a professional chef for 16 years. With all my training, I was surprised to learn something new about cooking in 2004, when I was introduced to the six-taste philosophy, which has informed and shaped cooking, diet, and health in India for hundreds of years.

Ayurveda is understood by the five elements found in our universe – Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.  These elements are further understood through the qualities of our environments, known as the physical gunas – hot & cold, wet & dry, heavy & light, mobile & stable.  Ether is cold, dry, light & stable; air is cool, dry, light & mobile; fire is hot, wet, light & mobile; water is cool, moist, heavy & mobile; and earth is cold, damp, heavy & stable.

In Ayurveda, the body comprises three elemental energies known as the doshas that govern our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual makeup.  The Vata dosha is a combination of ether & air with the qualities of cold, dry, light, and mobile; the Pitta is a combination of fire & water with the qualities of hot, wet, light, and mobile; and the Kapha is a combination of water & earth with the qualities of cold, damp, heavy, and stable.

We all have an individual inherent balance of these doshas, known as the constitution (Prakruti).  When the body is out of balance, we create what is known as our current state of health (Vikruti).  Imbalances can be physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, but in Ayurveda, the imbalance is first addressed through our digestive and assimilation processes.

The foods, drinks, spices, and herbs we ingest are categorized by the six tastes - sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. These tastes have the same energetic qualities - hot & cold, wet & dry, heavy & light, mobile & stable - inherent in the individual doshas’ five elements. 

Vata is cold, dry, light, and mobile, so foods that are sweet (heavy and moist), sour (hot, moist, heavy), and salty (warm, moist, heavy) are best. Food choices include grains, rice, sweet fruits, nuts, dairy products, and warm spices such as cardamom, fenugreek, and ginger. 

Pitta is hot, wet, light, and mobile, so foods that are sweet (cold, heavy), bitter (cool, dry), and astringent (cool, dry) are best.  Good food choices are cooler, like rice, moong beans, sweet fruits, cucumber, lettuce, bitter greens, melons, cottage cheese, peppermint, and cumin.

Kapha is cold, wet, heavy, and stable, so foods that are pungent (hot, dry, light), bitter (dry, light), and astringent (dry, light) are best.  Good food choices here are low-fat and include pungent greens and warmer spices like cloves, cinnamon, and ginger with very little fat.

Once you have established your basic constitution, you can apply Ayurvedic food principles by applying opposite actions. Ayurvedic cooking aims to maintain one’s unique dosha balance in a state of continuous balance.

At this point, you may be thinking you might have to limit yourself to very specific foods, but while this may be true in some cases, you can also use the opposite energetics of food to balance and change tastes and energetics.  For instance, if you are a Pitta constitution but love spicy food, balance that heat with coolness by adding Raita, a yogurt-based sauce.   Vatas who love popcorn, which is cool, dry, light, and mobile, can add warm ghee and salt to add warmth, heaviness, and moisture.

Here is some detailed information on each taste:

Sweet- Water/Earth (cool, wet, heavy)

Its grounding qualities promote strength and calmness. It is beneficial for Vata to include heaviness, but too much may push Kapha out of balance. It is also helpful for Pitta to seek coolness. These foods are associated with animal proteins, nuts, dairy products, grains, legumes, sweet fruits, and root vegetables.

Sour- Water/Fire (hot, moist, heavy)

Sour stimulates circulation and elimination and maintains acidity. Due to its warmth, heaviness, and moistness, it balances Vata, but this heat can push Pitta out of balance and may increase Kapha with its wetness. Include citrus, berries, sour kraut, vinegars, pickles, fermented foods, yogurt, and cheeses.

Salty- Earth/Fire (warm, moist, heavy)

Salt helps maintain electrolyte balance, lubricates the tissues, has a mild laxative effect, and calms the nerves. It is grounding, moistening, and warming for Vata but increases Kapha and is heating for Pitta.  This category includes sea vegetables, salt, tamari, black olives, hard cheeses, and seafood.

Pungent- Fire/Air (hot, dry, light)

The pungent taste clears sinuses, improves blood flow, and detoxification. Its light and dry qualities can aggravate Pitta. It balances the moist and heavy Kapha, but Vata can become too hot and dry if consumed in excess. Pungent foods include ginger, hot peppers, chilies, onions, garlic, mustard, and many spices.

Bitter- Air/Ether (cold, dry, light)

A powerful detoxifying, an antibiotic, anti-parasitic, and antiseptic. It helps reduce weight, rashes, fever, and nausea.  It is best for Pitta and Kapha but least effective for Vata because of its cool, light, and airy qualities.  Foods include all bitter greens, dandelion, olives, grapefruit, bitter melon, coffee, and tea.

Astringent- Air/Ether (cool, dry, light)

Slows digestion and is not for Vata, but benefits Pitta and Kapha with cool, dry, and light.

Foods that fall into this category include legumes, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, asparagus, turnips, grains such as rye, buckwheat, and quinoa, green grapes, cranberries, and pomegranates.