I used to parse my foods into the food pyramid groups: fats, sugars, proteins, dairy, grains and so on. Then I discovered a different way of eating, as a result of food allergies and a deep-dive into the world of Ayurveda (literally “the science of life”). I start with plants: I base my meal around plants, rather than around a carb or protein, which was the first big shift. Then I consider the ‘tastes’.
In Ayurveda, there are six tastes: Salty, Sweet, Bitter, Sour, Astringent & Pungent. The first four are generally familiar to all of us: the saltiness of a strip of nori, or a kosher-salt sprinkled potato. Sweetness is found in fruits, milk & grains. I was not able to taste the inherent sweetness of rice, until I did a two-week detox (fruits and veg only) and then re-introduced grains back into my diet. Bitter foods include dark greens, herbs, spices and Campari! Sour foods include the usual suspects like limes & lemons, but also fermented foods like yoghurt & kefir, or kim chi & sauerkraut.
Astringent & pungent are a little more complicated to grasp. Astringent – means to contract or withdraw – so, includes foods that dry your mouth (and your body) when you consume them. Legumes, raw fruits & vegetables are astringent. Raw apples are astringent: crunch into a raw apple and notice the drying effect on your tongue. Pungent means strong, pervasive, intense. Foods that are pungent include garlic & chili and strong herbs and spices.
These tastes do cohere with the food pyramid view, in that sweet foods for example tend to be rich in fats, proteins, carbohydrates and water and you can find vitamins and minerals in bitter foods. To feel full and satisfied after your main meal, try to include each of these tastes. Your digestive fire (agni) or bile is at it’s highest levels during 10am-2pm, so try to eat your main meal at this time of day.
Here are three recipes, which include the 6 tastes. Use these as a base and get exploring the tastes in your kitchen!
Spiced Rice
- 1/4 c (cooked) of Rice & 1 tbs ghee or butter or coconut oil (sweet)
- 1/2 a vegetable bouillon cube (salt) & 1c hot water
- Handful of dark green leafy veggies, e.g. kale/chard (bitter)
- Half a lemon (sour)
- 1/3 c (cooked) Beans or lentils (astringent)
- Clove of garlic, half an onion, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp of hing/asafoetida, (pungent)
Cook the rice & cook the beans (or open a can of beans). Dissolve the stock/bouillon into the hot water. Saute the spices in the oil/butter – the aromatic smell will stimulate your appetite. Add the green veg. Stir in the cooked rice and cooked beans and add the stock. Squeeze lemon juice on top to serve. Have fun with this – vary the spices .e.g thyme & oregano (pungent), vary the grain/carb (barley, sorghum, pasta, sweet potato etc – sweet), add zucchini (sweet/astringent) etc.
Oat Risotto
- 1/2 c Rolled Oats & 1 tbs ghee (sweet)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne & handful of fresh sage (pungent)
- Handful of Spinach and/or dandelion leaves (bitter)
- 1/4 tsp Rock salt (salt)
- Handful of Cherry tomatoes (sour)
- 1/3 c cooked beans/lentils of your choice (astringent)
- 1 c of water
Cook your beans/lentils. Saute oats in ghee for a few minutes. Add the water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for a few minutes (this will depend on what kind of oats you’re using – non-processed ones fill you up for longer, but if all you have on hand are the quick cook, go for it, but remember they will cook faster). Chop sage, green veg and halve the tomatoes. Stir in the sage, green veg, cayenne & salt. Toss in the beans and tomatoes. Serve.
Zucchini & Tomato Soup
- 2 zucchini (sweet, astringent)
- 1 tbs butter/ghee/oil (sweet)
- 3 quartered whole tomatoes or 15 or so cherry tomatoes (sour)
- 1 bouillon cube & 2 c of warm water (salty)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne, handful of chopped oregano (pungent)
- handful of chopped parsley (bitter/pungent)
Dissolve bouillon cube in hot water in a saucepan. Slice zucchini into 1/3 inch thick rings & saute in butter/ghee/oil (preferably in a heavy bottomed pan, or ridged iron skillet). Add zucchini, tomatoes & cayenne to the saucepan of stock and bring to the boil. Toss in the fresh herbs & serve.
Tamsin Astor-Jack, PhD writes at www.YogaBrained.com/blog
©Tamsin Astor-Jack, Yoga Brained LLC