Six tastes & Kerala food
The Ayurvedic diet is rooted in the concept of six tastes - sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Each taste has a different effect on the body, and Ayurveda recommends including all six tastes in every meal to ensure a balanced diet. The proportions of each taste vary depending on a person's dosha - Vata, Pitta, or Kapha. Vata-pacifying foods are grounding and nourishing, Pitta-pacifying foods are cooling and calming, and Kapha-pacifying foods are light and stimulating.