Ayurvedic Spices and Its Properties

Spices are always playing a very important role in Indian cuisine since time immemorial. It reached its pinnacle during Mughals but then lifestyle was completely different from the common people of that time. Ayurveda defined its finding on a different turf altogether. Spices were some of the most valuable items of trade in the ancient and medieval world. One of the reasons which motivated Vasco D Gama to sail to India all the way from Portugal was the black peppers. He not only discovered the land of spices but also established business relationships with the local people. Around that same time, when Christopher Columbus happened upon the New World, he was quick to describe to investors the many new spices available there. They are true to name and from them no portion of any volatile oil or other flavouring principle has been removed. They are used to flavour food, are also used in perfume and cosmetic industry, medicines and in many rituals. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are leafy, green plant parts used for flavouring purposes. Herbs, such as basil or oregano, may be used fresh; spices, however, are dried. Unlike herbs, spices are almost always dried. I have briefly touched upon the beneficial effects of spices in the previous blogs. Rasa, which means taste, in effect is the total effect of a particular taste on the body. As per the Ayurveda concept, there are six rasas in the body. They are sweet, sour, saline (salty), pungent, bitter & astringent.

The relationship between three principal ayurvedic energy & the Rasas are as follows :

There will be some discussion regarding the different body type and suitable diets in the coming blogs as there may be some questions in the mind when you go through the blog on spices which includes terms like Vata, Pitta and kapha. At this stage I just wish to say that these are the different body types categorized according to the criteria decided by the practitioners of Ayurveda. One word of caution here is not to overdo with the spices as they should be consumed only in moderation and can harm if consumed in large quantities.

- Kuntal Kumar

Tags: dal, idli, gosht, lentil, chettinad, handi, tandoori, dosa, balti, curries