The Five Element Tastes

Each of the Five Elements are associated with a unique taste. Foods that have that distinct taste are the go to or favorite foods for The 8 Personal Elements. These are the foods they love or crave, the foods they get really good at making themselves or the foods they might eat every day without getting bored.

The Five Element Tastes

SOUR

The WOOD element is associated with the SOUR taste. Sour foods are cleansing. Theses tart flavored foods are quite acidic and can make you want to pucker up. Their acidity brings brightness to a dish, like a buttermilk bath for chicken or a squeeze of lime on a fish taco. They can be great palate cleansers, like a lemon sorbet between courses or pickled ginger between bites of sushi. A sour taste can also help determine if fruit is under-ripe, meat is rotten or foods are spoiled, like milk that has gone sour. High levels of acidity can be a warning that a food or beverage might be too acidic and cause considerable damage to tissues. Sour foods relieve thirst, stimulate digestion, increase the absorption of minerals like iron from food and aid the body with proper elimination. They strengthen the heart and help with circulation. They can also be energizing and relieve pain.

The sour taste is calming to the body. Sour foods are used in Chinese medicine to detoxify the liver. The liver is the organ associated with toxic and primitive emotions, especially anger. Symptoms of a toxic liver are: headache, dizziness, high blood pressure, red face and eyes. The body can also experience insomnia, bloating and constipation. Many of these symptoms can accompany menopause, premenstrual tension, hyperthyroidism and depression.

Examples of sour foods are:

• Citrus Fruits & Juice: grapefruit, kumquats, lemons, limes, oranges

• Fermented Condiments: fish sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce

• Fermented Drinks: buttermilk, kefir, kombucha, water kefir, wine

• Fermented Foods: crème fraiche, sour cream, yogurt, miso, tempeh, tofu

• Pickled Foods: capers, ginger, kimchi, pickles, pickled veggies, pickled plums (umeboshi), sauerkraut

• Preserved lemon, lemon curd

• Sour Soups: borscht, hot and sour, sweet and sour, sorrel, stock or broth made with apple cider vinegar

• Sourdough Bread

• Sour Foods: rhubarb, sorrel, tamarind, tomatoes

• Sour Fruits: acai, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, crabapples, cranberries, currants, gooseberries, grapes, guavas, kiwi, mulberries, noni, plums, pomegranate, raspberries, sour cherries,

• Vinegar: apple cider, balsamic, champagne, red wine, rice wine

• Vinegar based salad dressings & sauces: Italian dressing, chimichurri, ketchup, mignonette, Tabasco

Favorite Sour Foods: borscht with sour cream, cranberry sauce, grapefruit juice, lemon curd, sour candy, sauerkraut, sourdough bread, stuffed grape leaves, unsweetened yogurt, vinegar based salad dressings or just olive oil and vinegar.

Favorite Preparation Methods: canning, fermentation, fruit preserves, milk kefir, pickling, sourdough bread making, vinegar distilling, water kefir, wine making, yogurt making

NOTE: If you crave sour foods, you might need to detox your liver and/or gallbladder. Or your gut might need the probiotics to restore healthy bacteria levels in your gut.

BITTER

The FIRE element is associated with the BITTER taste. Bitter foods are detoxifying. They can have an unpleasant flavor that can make you scrunch up your face. Bitter fruits, vegetables and herbs stimulate digestion and increase nutrient absorption. Bitter foods also contain nutrients that fight free radicals, aid in natural detoxification and boost metabolism and immune system function.

The bitter taste can clear excess heat from the body. Bitter foods are used in Chinese medicine to clear this “heat” or inflammation from the body that affects the heart, but may originate in an imbalance in the liver or gallbladder. Symptoms of excessive heat are heart disease, stroke, arthritis, colitis, fibromyalgia, lupus, MS, diabetes, chronic fatigue and ulcers in the mouth. Other symptoms include chronic thirst, a red face, heart palpitations, anxiety and insomnia. Eating bitter foods or drinking bitter drinks reduces inflammation in the body, which can be caused by the over consumption of salty, spicy, greasy, rich and sweet foods.

Herbs are parts of leafy green plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Many of them are bitter. Herbs can also have medicinal, therapeutic, detoxifying and healing effects.

Examples of bitter foods are:

• Beer

• Bitter Greens: arugula, beet, Bok choy, chard, collard, endive, escarole, frisee, kale, mustard, nettles, spinach, turnip, watercress

• Bitter Herbs: basil, chamomile, cilantro, dandelion, dill, goldenseal, hops, milk thistle, moringa, parsley, thyme

• Bitter melon and gourds

• Bitter Nuts: bitter almonds, Brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts

• Bitter Veggies: artichoke, asparagus, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, fennel, green beans, rutabaga, squash, turmeric, zucchini

• Chicory

• Citrus peel and zest

• Coffee and espresso

• Dark chocolate, bitter chocolate, cacao nibs, ground cacao, unsweetened cocoa

• Essential Oils: grapefruit, lemon, lime, wild orange

• Legumes: alfalfa, beans, carob, lentils, peanuts, peas

• Ginseng

• Olives

• Orange marmalade

• Tea: black, chai, green, matcha, mate, oolong

• Vanilla

Favorite Bitter Foods: beer, chai tea, coffee, dark chocolate, green juice, green smoothies, green tea, salad.

Favorite Preparation Methods: beer brewing, coffee brewing, dehydrating, drying, green juicing, infusion, raw, roasting, soaking, sprouting, steaming, tea steeping.

NOTE: If you crave bitter foods, you might need to detox your body at the cellular level. It might also mean that you need more nutrient dense foods to provide whole food, plant sourced vitamins and minerals. Or, it might also mean that your body is seeking healing through herbal medicine.

SWEET

The EARTH element is associated with the SWEET taste. Sweet foods are tissue building. They make you want to smile, even thinking about eating them. Sweet foods increase saliva and soothe mucous membranes and burning sensations. They build and rebuild plasma, blood, fat, muscles, bones, marrow and reproductive fluids.

The sweet taste is tonifying. Sweet foods are used in Chinese medicine to tonify the spleen. The spleen is an important organ that aids in the proper digestion and absorption of vital nutrients by the body. Symptoms of a weak spleen are: lack of energy, stomach or abdominal bloating, irregular bowel movements, weight gain, heaviness in the extremities and edema. Some cases are accompanied by an under-active thyroid gland or chronic fatigue syndrome.

People with a sweet tooth or who crave sweets have a deficient spleen. Children who like to eat sweet foods are developing and strengthening their spleen as they grow and mature. Once the spleen is balanced through diet, herbs and acupuncture or the children reach adulthood, the cravings for sweet foods are diminished or cease.

Examples of sweet foods are:

• Bakery: bagels, biscuits, bread, croissant, danish, doughnuts, pizza, pancakes, muffins, scones, waffles

• Breakfast Cereal – cold cereal or granola with milk, hot oatmeal

• Candy: butterscotch, candied nuts, candy bars, caramel, chocolate sauce, fudge, hard candy, hot fudge, marshmallows, rock candy

• Dairy: butter, cheese, cottage cheese, cream, crema, crème fraiche, ghee, half & half, mascarpone, milk, ricotta, sour cream, yogurt, whipped cream

• Dessert: brownies, cake, cheesecake, cupcakes, flan, pastries, pies

• Fruit Juice: apple, berry, grape, mango, nectarine, pear, peach

• Grains: amaranth, barley, buckwheat, chia, flax, hemp, millet, oats, poppy, quinoa, rice, rye, spelt, wheat

• Jam, jelly, fruit preserves

• Maca

• Milk chocolate

• Pasta

• Sweet Nuts: sweet almonds, cashews, macadamias, pine nuts, pistachios

• Sweet Fruits: apples, avocado, banana, figs, mango, melons, nectarines, pears, peaches, pineapple, strawberries

• Sweet Veggies: beets, carrots, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes

• Soda

• Sugar: cane sugar, honey, maple syrup

• Sugary Snacks: candied nuts, milk chocolate chips, cookies, kettle corn

• Sweet Condiments: ketchup, sweet relish, bread & butter pickles, sweet and sour sauce, sweet chili sauce, barbeque sauce, Teriyaki sauce

Favorite Sweet Foods: apples with caramel, bagels with cream cheese, bananas, barbeque baked beans, bread, candy, cold cereal with milk, cookies with milk, fruit smoothies, juice, ketchup, milk chocolate, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, pancakes or waffles with syrup, rocky road ice cream.

Other Favorite Sweets: cigars, cough drops, gums, mints, throat lozenge, sweet flavored cigarettes.

Favorite Preparation Methods: baking, candy making, grinding, milling, sautéing

NOTE: If you crave sweets, it may mean that you have parasites and need to do a parasite cleanse. It might also mean that you have cancer or have an acidic body in which free radicals can grow into malignant cells and tumors.

SPICY

The METAL element is associated with the SPICY taste. Spicy foods are stimulating. They are pungent and can make you sweat and pant and tear up. Theses hot and spicy foods and spices contain lots of heat. They can ignite the palate and leave your mouth on fire. They stimulate digestion and metabolism, aid in circulation and relieve muscle pain.

The spicy taste is immune boosting. Spicy foods are used in Chinese medicine to strengthen immunity. The lungs are considered the first line of defense for the body. Pathogens are neutralized in the lungs and removed through sneezing, runny noses, coughing and sweating. If the health of the lungs is compromised, symptoms might include: headache, body aches, sore throat, cold and flus. Eating spicy foods can strengthen the lungs so they can fight the viral or foreign invaders.

A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, berry, bud or vegetable used for flavoring, coloring or preserving food. Many spices have antimicrobial properties. They are commonly used in warmer climates that have more infectious diseases. They are also used in the preparation of meat. Other uses include: medicinal, religious, ritual and cosmetics or perfume production. Medicinal applications make use of the menthol or capsaicin properties of the foods, herbs and spices.

Examples of spicy foods are:

• Black pepper, white pepper

• Capsaicin, cayenne pepper, crushed red chili flakes, curcumin

• Essential Oils: black pepper, cassia, cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, ginger, oregano, peppermint, spearmint, thyme, wintergreen

• Hot Peppers: chilies, chipotles, habaneros, jalapeños,

• Kimchi

• Soups & Stews: chili, Chinese hot and sour, Thai curry

• Spicy Foods: garlic, ginger, horseradish, onion, radishes, wasabi

• Spicy Condiments: chili sauce, horseradish sauce, mustard, pepper jelly, chutney, hot salsa, hot sauce and Tabasco

• Spicy Spices: chili, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, curry, Chinese five-spice, garam masala, harissa, ginger, nutmeg, za’atar

• Spicy Snacks: jalapeño poppers, nachos, spicy chips, spicy roasted nuts or chickpeas

Favorite Spicy Foods: chili, curry, hot salsa, hot sauce, jalapeño poppers, nachos, pepper crusted meats, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, spicy nuts, Tabasco.

Spicy Cuisines: Caribbean, Chinese, Ethiopian, Hungarian, Indian, Korean, Latin, Mexican, Persian, Peruvian, Thai, Tunisian, Turkish, Vietnamese

Favorite Preparation Methods: chopping, cutting, dicing, frying, grilling, roasting, smoking, slicing

You might carry around “hot sauce in [my] bag swag…”

NOTE:  Spicy is not so much a taste, as it is a level of heat added to a dish. It is a hot flavor profile that is used with the other four flavors: sour, bitter, sweet and salty. It is commonly used in cuisines that tend to be a bit bland. It is also used in countries with hotter climates that have more dangerous pathogens to combat. Latin American, Asian countries, Indian cuisines and food in the Middle East and Africa use a lot of heat in their spicy dishes for these reasons. If you are not from one of these countries or nationalities, you may or may not develop a taste for spicy food. The important part to remember about spicy food is the immune boosting and supportive role spicy foods play in keeping us well and fighting food, water and airborne illnesses. They are especially effective for clearing the sinuses and for the overall health of the lungs and respiratory system.

SALTY

The WATER element is associated with the SALTY taste. Salty foods are essential to life. Salt improves the taste and brings out the flavors of all foods. Salty foods dissolve stagnation in the body. They also improve digestion, lubricate the body’s tissues, liquefy mucous, maintain mineral balance, aid in the elimination of wastes and calm the nerves.

The salty taste is pleasant on the palate. Salt is used by the kidneys first. The kidneys are considered one of the important organs in Chinese medicine. They store the body’s original essence, which is why the kidneys are associated with determining the body’s constitution. If the kidneys are weak, symptoms might include: lack of energy, low back, knee, ankle or heel pain, tired legs, poor memory, frequent urination especially at night time, early greying of hair, early menopause, impotence and developmental problems for children, such as delayed walking or speech. Salt serves a critical role in ion and water homeostasis in the body. It is an osmotically active compound that facilitates the vital re-uptake of water into the blood.

Examples of salty foods are:

• Bone marrow, oxtails

• Brined Foods: cheese, olives, pickles, pastrami

• Cheese: bleu, cheddar, feta, goat, gorgonzola, gouda, Parmesan

• Preserved Meats: andouille, bologna, bratwurst, deli meats, liverwurst, haggis, blood sausage, chorizo, jerky, mortadella, soppresseta, pepperoni, salami, sausages

• Salt: dry rubs, Himalayan salt, sea salt, seasoning salt

• Salt Cured Meats: bacon, corned beef, ham, pancetta, salt pork, salted cod

• Salty Snacks: chips, crackers, crunchies, edamame, nuts, popcorn, pretzels, puffs

• Salty Flavorings: Bragg’s aminos, bouillon, nutritional yeast, seasoning salt, soy sauce, tamari

• Seafood*: fish, calamari, crustaceans, shellfish, scallops

• Sea Vegetables: blue green algae, kelp flakes, kombu, nori sheets, seaweed snacks

• Soups & Stews: beef bourguignon, beef stew, bone broth, lamb stew, meat stock, miso

Favorite Salty Foods: bacon, cheese, chips, crackers, deli meat, olives, popcorn, sausage, sushi (or California rolls)

Favorite Preparation Methods: boiling with salt, braising, brining, canning, curing, freezing, low and slow in a crock pot, marinades, poaching, preserving, pressure cooking, simmering, soaking, stewing, thermal immersion, water bath.

NOTE:  If you crave salty foods, you may need more salt and minerals in your diet.  Your kidneys might be weak or deficient. Drink more beverages with electrolytes that have salt and potassium like coconut water. Or, drink sole, a solution of Himalayan salt or sea salt dissolved in water.

* Post March 2011 Pacific caught salt water fish and seafood are not safe to eat. Eat only wild caught North Atlantic seafood. Make sure your fish oil supplements are from the North Atlantic as well.

UMAMI

Sour, bitter, sweet and salty are considered the four basic tastes. Umami is known as the fifth taste. Umami is the Japanese word for (loosely translated) “delicious”. It’s a savory, satisfying and highly pleasurable taste that combines the qualities of the four other tastes. The salty. The sweet. The sour. The bitter.

Umami is…A bite so perfectly balanced it’s worth savoring. A delicate balance that takes on an irresistible harmonious flavor of its own. A taste that can only be described as, delicious.

Umami is a taste that induces salivation and leaves a mild but pleasant, lasting and memorable aftertaste. A savory deliciousness that is enhanced by the salt of the Earth. A sublime spoonful of decadence that is delicately and naturally sweetened. A tangy tartness of acidity that is brightened with a fresh squeeze of sunny citrus juice. A rounding out of bitterness that cuts into the richness of a dish and keeps your mind sharp and your senses keen for the culinary adventure of your life – the daily nourishing and feeding of YOU!

May your life be perfectly balanced, delicious and worth savoring. May your life have the harmonious complexity, the pleasing taste, the craveable quality of umami, with a touch of spice.

☯

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