Quiz #2 Tastes

Creating an Effective Syrup with Five Tastes

• The five tastes in Traditional Chinese Medicine are pungent, salty, sour, bitter, and sweet.
• A meal is considered incomplete without all five flavors, which inspired the creation of an herbal formula encompassing all five tastes.

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra, S.cerulea, S.canadensis) - Sour

• Elderberries are high in antioxidants and are commonly used to shorten the duration of a cold or flu.
• In one study, elderberry relieved flu symptoms four days earlier than a placebo.

Elecampane (Inula helenium) - Bitter & Pungent

• Elecampane strengthens the lungs and is especially used for congested coughs.
• It has a decidedly bitter and pungent taste with a hint of sweetness due to its high inulin content.

Plantain (Plantago major, P.lanceolata, P.rugelii, P.rhodosperma, P.virginica) - Salty

• Plantain has a hard mineral taste due to its high mineral content, similar to kale.
• It is a fantastic herb for general coughs and excels at soothing irritated mucous membranes such as the throat and lungs.

Honey - Sweet

• Honey is high in enzymes that stimulate the immune system and is a mild expectorant.
• It is a safe and effective way to address children's coughs, but alternative sweeteners should be used for children under two.

Understanding Herb Tastes in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda

• Classifying herbs by their taste is a major foundation of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
• Taste can give insights into the plant's energetics, such as whether it is warming like cayenne or cooling like a cucumber.
• Evaluating and understanding the taste of an herb is crucial for herbalists.

Herb Taste Attributes

• Pungent herbs are warming and spicy, used to awaken the senses and get things moving.
• Salty herbs are high in minerals and often affect the balance of fluids in our bodies.
• Sour herbs stimulate digestion and build strength, often high in antioxidants.
• Bitter herbs stimulate digestion and often have a cooling and draining effect, helping to modulate inflammation.
• Sweet herbs nourish and build, used to restore energy levels and modulate the immune system.

Incorporating Five Flavors into a Recipe

• The five flavors can be incorporated into a delicious and colorful snack, such as beet hummus.
• The sweet taste in beet hummus comes from beets and chickpeas.
• The pungent taste comes from cumin, garlic, and black pepper.
• The salty taste comes from salt, which can be substituted or added with kelp flakes.
• The sour taste comes from lemon, which enhances digestion and modulates inflammation.
• The bitter taste comes from tahini and turmeric, which have slightly bitter flavors.

Tastes in Herbal Medicine

• In Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, the taste of an herb is used to understand how it works in the body.

The Five Tastes in Chinese Medicine

• There are five tastes: pungent, salty, sour, bitter, and sweet.
• Herbs with a predominantly one flavor have characteristics of that taste.

Pungent Herbs

• Pungent herbs are warming and spicy, used to awaken the senses and stimulate movement.
• Example: Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) makes you sweat and stimulates sinuses.

Salty Herbs

• Salty herbs are high in minerals and affect fluid balance in the body.
• Example: Nettle (Urtica dioica) is a nourishing and diuretic herb.

Sour Herbs

• Sour herbs stimulate digestion and build strength.
• Example: Drinking lemon water in the morning stimulates digestion.

Bitter Herbs

• Bitter herbs stimulate digestion and have a cooling and draining effect, helping to modulate inflammation.
• Example: Coffee has a strong antioxidant effect.

Sweet Herbs

• Sweet herbs nourish and build, restoring energy levels and modulating the immune system.
• Example: Drinking astragalus chai daily has a nourishing effect.

Schisandra Berry

• Schisandra berry has all five tastes, containing the qualities and benefits of all five flavors.
• This explains its multiple benefits and functions.

Tastes in Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda

• There are five tastes in Chinese Medicine: pungent, salty, sour, bitter, and sweet
• Each taste has general characteristics and is used to distinguish how an herb works in the body

Characteristics of Each Taste

• Pungent: warming and spicy, used to awaken the senses and get things moving, examples: cayenne and elecampane
• Salty: high in minerals, often affects fluid balance in the body, examples: nettle and plantain
• Sour: stimulates digestion and builds strength, examples: lemon and elderberry
• Bitter: stimulates digestion, has a cooling and draining effect, examples: coffee and Oregon grape root
• Sweet: nourishes and builds, restores energy levels and modulates the immune system, examples: astragalus and honey

Importance of Taste in Herbal Medicine

• Taste is a major foundation of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Evaluating and understanding the taste of an herb is crucial for understanding its energetics and how it works in the body
• Taste can give insights into the plant's warming or cooling effects, and its ability to restore moisture or drain excess fluids

Five-Flavored Beet Hummus Recipe

• Sweet: beets and chickpeas, which are nourishing and building, and help with heart health and endurance
• Pungent: cumin, garlic, and black pepper, which are warming and active, and help with digestion and circulation
• Salty: salt, which helps with nutrient assimilation and digestion
• Sour: lemon, which enhances digestion and modulates inflammation
• Bitter: tahini and turmeric, which stimulate digestion and modulate inflammation