It was when I discovered Ayurveda that my relationship with food was radically transformed, that my awareness of the act of eating—and of everything behind food that truly nourishes, not only the body but also the soul and all the relationships that sustain life—expanded.
The Ayurvedic vision guides us in building health with the intelligence that sustains balance, awakening our capacity to live fully and cultivating harmony with Nature. To better understand the vision that awakened in me a love of food with greater awareness, I invite you to discover the ancestral secret of flavors:
The sense of taste begins long before we taste a food; appetite is not
simply hunger asking the body for food—it is the origin of the maternal emotions
that sustain life; this is why flavors play a fundamental role in
our ability to assimilate life and care for the memory that sustains it.
Flavors work as a complex chain of reactions that the intelligence of the
body perceives and stores in the memory of the tissues. The sense of taste works through
the body's Water element; tasting informs the body's functions and guides the
process of absorbing and assimilating; flavor generates the necessary impulse to awaken the
memory of the process that nourishes the tissues.
Food is a pathway through which we receive the five elements: Space, Air, Fire, Water, and
Earth. Our body is nourished by these five essences and by the memory of evolution that moves from seed to sprout, flowering, and the fruits that sustain us. The memories of sunlight, lunar cycles, rain, and weather are etched into food and nourish the
intelligence of our body.
The complete cycle that nourishes us begins with sowing and working the good Earth,
the harvest, preparing the food, and receiving the entire process with satisfaction and
gratitude to build tissues that give continuity to life. Food is the memory of the
Mother Consciousness; understanding this cyclical wisdom turns our food into
living medicine.
A complete meal that nourishes not only the body but also gives us mental and
emotional satisfaction should contain the six flavors: sweet, salty, pungent, sour, bitter, and astringent.
These occur naturally in each season near us; the flavors offered by the
earth are what we need according to the season, the climate, and the place where we live.
Sweet is the dominant flavor; almost all foods contain some degree of
sweetness, which is responsible for increasing the tissues and relieving hunger. It is the flavor that
reminds us of maternal love. Water is sweet; milk, corn, and honey are also sweet
and comforting, like a loving mother.
The pungent flavor is formed by the elements Air and Fire; it stimulates the appetite and
metabolism and maintains balance in the body's secretions. It is not found only in chilies—we also find it in roots and spices such as ginger, mustard, cloves, and
radishes, garlic, etc.
The salty flavor cleanses the tissues and activates digestion; it is formed through the elements
Water and Fire, is used in small quantities, and is found in most
juicy vegetables such as cucumber and tomato, as well as in seaweed and salt.
The sour flavor is formed by the elements Earth and Fire and aids digestion and the
elimination of waste; we find it in most fruits and in
fermented foods such as yogurt.
The bitter flavor is formed by the elements Air and Ether; it should be used in very small
quantities to accentuate flavors. It helps detoxify the blood and control
disease; we find it in many medicinal plants, in vegetables such as
arugula, in spices such as fenugreek, in roots such as turmeric, and in plants such as
aloe.
The astringent flavor is formed by the elements Earth and Air; it absorbs liquids and helps
reduce secretions and tissues. It is found in nuts, legumes, and bark
teas, as well as fruits such as berries and grapes.
Flavor goes far beyond the preparation and consumption of food; each one of
us has a relationship with emotional, physical, and spiritual flavor that influences our
lives. Our decisions are largely influenced by our individual sense of taste. Including the six flavors of the Earth, cultivated with love and respect, in all your
meals transforms your health and your sense of taste on every level.
All our spices contain the six flavors. You can find the spices or our blends tailored to your dosha type. SAYAB AYURVEDA / 999 997 6172.
Maripaz Ojeda / Mexico City, Mexico
