Sour Taste

Amla Ras 

Last week I wrote about an article about “Sweet Taste or Madhur Ras”. Today in this post I would like to write more about yet another taste that we have in our food group called Amla Ras or Sour as what we know. Although this taste is not very common but still I personally know that I have seen lots and lots of people who enjoy sour taste especially teenagers . Sour Gummies, Tamarind ball, Pickles all are sour to taste and have huge fans too.

What is Sour Taste?

Ayurveda defines sour taste as a taste that would make one salivate more. A food group that would make one feel goose bumps all over the body as one eat it.  Eyes get constricted and so are the eye lids with a single morsel bite. All are the signs that you are eating something that is Sour or Amla Ras .

Sour Food According to Ayurveda:

The name Amla Ras is said to be derived from the fruit Indian Goose berry or Amalki which is sour to taste. So are sour Grapes, Pomegranate, Most of the Citrus fruits like Oranges, Tangerines, Tamarind all come in to Sour Taste group according to Ayurveda

Health benefits of Sour Taste :

1]  Eating Sour food is said to increase appetite and digestion. It is said that eating sour triggers increase flow of bile and other gastric juices causing hunger and proper digestion.
2] Sour taste foods are most good palate cleanser ask a chef about that. Many times due to prolong sickness we could not taste, those are the times when giving sour food like lemon can bring back the taste buds to life.
3] In Ayurveda Sour foods are said to alleviate kapha dosha and pitta dosha, but eating this also helps to remove the Vatta dosha.
4] Sour tasting food is normally good for Heart. Some regard them to give strength to the heart while some regard them healthy for the heart.

Effects of Overindulgence in Sour taste Group:

1] Excessive Amla or sour food in one’s diet brings about flaccidity in the body.
2] Persons who over indulge are prone to lot of itchy skin, different sorts of skin lesions and diseases.
3] Normally Ayurveda regards that those who are anaemic love sour food.
4] One can find increase thirst due to over intake of sour food groups.

Posted by Sudeep

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