Ariella’s favorite new request at the dinner table…sriracha. This girl is spicy and she LOVES spicy food. Pungent taste is what we recognize as spicy or food with a kick. Of course, there are degrees and variances in pungency.
Pungent taste is stimulating. It increases circulation and is warming. It thins the blood (which is supportive/balancing in some constitutions). It increases metabolism and enhances our digestive fire. It also dries mucus and breaks up masses in the body. Therefore, it is a valuable component to incorporate into our diet. We simply have to learn how to incorporate it correctly. Pungent taste is most supportive for:
- Those with excess weight that will benefit from increasing metabolism.
- Kids because they are naturally in the Kapha stage of life. This means their bodies are naturally going to have more mucus and congestion.
- Those who want to add some pepp in their step. Pungent taste stimulates the mind and increases alertness.
However, Pungent taste has its drawbacks as well. It can be drying. It can be overheating when there is excess heat in the GI, liver and blood. It can cause other GI conditions, such as ulcers, when used in excess. Those with a dry constitution or who are already deficient can tax their system with an excess of this flavor in their food.
Some examples of healthy pungent foods to incorporate into your child’s diet that will not be overly aggravating are:
- garlic
- radish
- red onion
- buckwheat
- rye
- garlic mustard
- mustard greens
- mustard oil
- sesame oil
- pineapple
Mild variations of pungent spices that you can add into your cooking to give your child some pungent flavor in their diet include:
- allspice
- basil
- black pepper
- cardamom
- celery seed
- cinnamon
- cloves
- coriander seed
- cumin
- curry powder
- ginger
- parsley
- and even mineral salt
Knowing our internal environment goes a LONG way in learning the correct balance of the 6 Tastes/Rasas and 20 qualities/Gunas. Incorporating all 6 tastes creates more balanced meals. Exposing our kids to variety goes a long way in helping them achieve well-being now and in the long term.