It is
often said, “Food is all about taste”. Yes, taste is the essence of all food
items and manufacture of taste-making additives is a money-spinner industry,
often with deleterious consequences for the general health of the global
population.

In an age
of junk food and hazardous taste-enhancing additives, it is tough for most to
remain vigilant about the kind of food they consume. Ayurveda acknowledges the
importance of taste in determining human food consumption patterns, but urges
caution. Eat mindfully, that is the Ayurvedic dictum.

प्राणिनां पुनर्मूलमाहारो बलवर्णौजसां च |
स षट्सु रसेष्वायत्तः; रसाः पुनर्द्रव्याश्रयाः; द्रव्याणि पुनरोषधयः |

सु. सू 1/28

Food is the
basis of life and taste forms the basis of food. Acharya Sushrutha has rightly
stated the importance of food and their various types. 

According to Ayurveda
– rasa or taste, is a powerful
therapeutic tool that determines not only how we experience our food but as a
component that will help in maintaining an equilibrium of body, mind and
spirit.

Ayurveda
recognizes six tastes, namely- sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and
astringent tastes, which combine in countless ways to create the incredible
diversity of flavours we encounter throughout our lives. Each taste has an
effect on all our body components. When these bodily components are out of
balance, the six tastes can help repair this imbalance. 

सर्वरसाभ्यासो बलकराणाम् |

    च. सू 25/40

Ayurveda recommends including each of
the 6 tastes in every meal in order to provide proper nutrition to the person.
This is said to be the key for a healthy life.

Our ancestors have formulated a particular
pattern in food intake which is followed by all of us during festivals and
other occasions. 

The order of the meals served during
holy rituals and festivals commences with sweet dishes like rice with ghee/payasam/kheer pacifies acidity which
is formed in empty stomach and aids in moistening food so as to digest them
properly in the stomach.

Later, sour and salty tasting foods are
added to rice which kindles the digestive power which is regulated by taking
pungent and bitter tasting foods next(like rasam, sambar).

Lastly, the meal is concluded with
buttermilk or even intake of betel nut/pan which is astringent in taste. This
controls formation of kapha in
excess. Thus an ideal environment is created by following this method. 

In the recent years due to western
influence, people are drawn towards regular intake of foods like pizza, burger
and also skipping the above pattern of food intake and untimely food intake
which has led to lifestyle disorders.

Ayurveda has again given an answer for
this. In treating the diseases/ signs and symptoms by utilising these tastes
judicially. 

• Tastelessness/loss
  of appetite – Acharyas recommend a piece of fresh ginger mixed with salt
  which has to be chewed as a remedy for this (pungent and salt taste).
• Gastritis
  can be pacified by giving a decoction given by cumin seeds/ajwain fruits
  (pungent)
• Ghee
  and milk are given in lean patients as they nourish all the tissues in the
  body (sweet)
• Long
  pepper mixed with honey relieves excess phlegm( kapha) in respiratory disorders (pungent and sweet)
• Rasam
  prepared by kokum rind garnished with asafoetida or hing powder is
  beneficial to pacify the excess kapha
  in respiratory illnesses. (sour and pungent)
• Decoction
  of guduchi stem (Amrithaballi) is useful to control fever ( bitter)

Thus, judicial intake
of foods with different rasas is the guarantee
for good health, along with good taste.