Food
Therapeutic food profiles across Ayurveda, TCM, and yogic traditions — properties, preparations, and healing uses.
Food is the most fundamental medicine. Every tradition recognizes that what we eat shapes our health, energy, and consciousness. Each profile below covers Ayurvedic properties (rasa, virya, vipaka, dosha effects), Traditional Chinese Medicine attributes (thermal nature, meridian affiliations, therapeutic actions), and yogic classification (sattvic, rajasic, tamasic).
Grains (18)
Amaranth
Sweet, Astringent · Heating
Barley
Sweet, Astringent · Cooling
Brown Rice
Sweet, Astringent · Warming
Buckwheat
Sweet, Astringent · Heating
Corn
Sweet · Heating
Couscous
Sweet · Cooling
Millet
Sweet, Astringent · Heating
Oats
Sweet · Warming
Quinoa
Sweet, Astringent · Warming
Rice (Basmati)
Sweet · Cooling
Rye
Sweet, Bitter · Cooling
Semolina
Sweet · Cooling
Sorghum
Sweet, Astringent · Cooling
Spelt
Sweet · Warming
Tapioca
Sweet · Cooling
Teff
Sweet, Astringent · Warming
Wheat
Sweet · Cooling
Wild Rice
Sweet, Bitter · Cooling
Legumes (12)
Adzuki Bean
Sweet, Astringent · Neutral
Black Bean
Sweet, Astringent · Mildly Heating
Black-Eyed Pea
Sweet, Astringent · Mildly Heating
Chickpea
Sweet, Astringent · Cooling
Green Lentil
Sweet, Astringent · Mildly Heating
Kidney Bean
Sweet, Astringent · Heating
Lima Bean
Sweet, Astringent · Cooling
Mung Bean
Sweet, Astringent · Cooling
Pinto Bean
Sweet, Astringent · Mildly Heating
Red Lentil
Sweet, Astringent · Heating
Toor Dal
Sweet, Astringent · Heating
Urad Dal
Sweet · Heating
Vegetables (38)
Artichoke
Bitter, Astringent, Sweet · Cooling
Asparagus
Sweet, Bitter · Cooling
Beet
Sweet, Astringent · Heating
Bell Pepper
Sweet, Astringent (green: slightly Bitter and Pungent) · Mildly Heating (red/yellow/orange), Cooling (green)
Bitter Melon
Bitter, Pungent · Cooling
Bok Choy
Sweet, Bitter, Astringent · Cooling
Broccoli
Astringent, Bitter, Sweet · Cooling
Brussels Sprout
Bitter, Astringent, Sweet · Cooling
Cabbage
Sweet, Astringent, Bitter · Cooling
Carrot
Sweet, Bitter · Heating (mildly)
Cauliflower
Astringent, Sweet, Bitter · Cooling
Celery
Bitter, Astringent, Salty · Cooling
Chard
Bitter, Astringent, Sweet · Cooling
Collard Greens
Bitter, Astringent, Sweet · Cooling
Corn (Sweet)
Sweet · Heating
Cucumber
Sweet, Astringent · Cooling
Daikon
Pungent, Sweet, Bitter · Heating
Eggplant
Bitter, Pungent, Astringent · Heating
Garlic
Pungent, with all five rasas except sour (pancharasa minus amla) · Heating (ushna)
Green Bean
Sweet (madhura) and astringent (kashaya) · Cooling (shita)
Kale
Bitter (tikta), astringent (kashaya), with mild pungency · Cooling (shita)
Leek
Sweet (madhura) and pungent (katu) · Heating (ushna)
Lettuce
Sweet (madhura) with mild bitter (tikta) undertone · Cooling (shita)
Mushroom
Sweet (madhura) and astringent (kashaya), with earthy undertones · Cooling (shita)
Okra
Sweet (madhura) with mild astringent (kashaya) · Cooling (shita)
Onion
Pungent (katu) and sweet (madhura) · Heating (ushna)
Peas
Sweet (madhura) and astringent (kashaya) · Cooling (shita)
Potato
Sweet (madhura) and astringent (kashaya) · Cooling (shita)
Pumpkin
Sweet (madhura) · Cooling (shita)
Radish
Pungent (katu) and sweet (madhura) · Heating (ushna) when raw, cooling when cooked
Seaweed
Salty, Sweet, Bitter · Cooling
Spinach
Sweet (madhura), astringent (kashaya), with mild bitter (tikta) · Cooling (shita)
Sprouts
Sweet, Astringent, Bitter · Cooling
Sweet Potato
Sweet (madhura) · Cooling (shita)
Tomato
Sour (amla) and sweet (madhura) · Heating (ushna)
Turnip
Pungent (katu) and sweet (madhura), with mild bitter (tikta) · Heating (ushna)
Watercress
Pungent (katu) and bitter (tikta) · Heating (ushna)
Zucchini
Sweet (madhura) with mild astringent (kashaya) · Cooling (shita)
Fruits (36)
Apple
Sweet, Astringent · Cooling
Apricot
Sweet, Sour · Heating
Avocado
Sweet · Cooling
Banana
Sweet · Cooling
Blueberry
Sweet, Astringent · Cooling
Cherry
Sweet, Sour, Astringent · Heating
Coconut
Sweet · Cooling
Cranberry
Sour, Astringent, Bitter · Cooling
Date
Sweet · Cooling
Dragon Fruit
Sweet, mild · Cooling
Fig
Sweet · Cooling
Grape
Sweet, Sour (varies by variety) · Cooling
Grapefruit
Sour, Bitter, Sweet · Cooling
Guava
Sweet, Astringent, Sour · Cooling
Jackfruit
Sweet · Cooling (ripe), Heating (unripe)
Kiwi
Sweet, Sour · Cooling
Lemon
Sour, Sweet (mildly) · Heating
Lime
Sour · Heating
Lychee
Sweet, Sour (mildly) · Heating
Mango
Sweet, sour (when unripe) · Cooling (ripe), Heating (unripe)
Melon (Cantaloupe)
Sweet · Cooling
Orange
Sweet, sour · Cooling (sweet varieties), mildly heating (sour varieties)
Papaya
Sweet, slightly bitter (ripe); pungent, bitter (unripe) · Heating
Passion Fruit
Sweet, sour, astringent · Cooling
Peach
Sweet, slightly sour · Cooling (ripe), slightly warming (unripe)
Pear
Sweet, astringent · Cooling
Persimmon
Sweet, astringent (especially when unripe) · Cooling
Pineapple
Sweet, sour, astringent · Heating
Plum
Sweet, sour, astringent · Cooling
Pomegranate
Sweet, sour, astringent · Cooling (sweet varieties), heating (sour varieties)
Raspberry
Sweet, sour, astringent · Cooling (mildly)
Starfruit
Sweet, sour, astringent · Cooling
Strawberry
Sweet, sour, astringent · Cooling
Tamarind
Sour, sweet (ripe pulp), astringent · Heating
Tangerine
Sweet, sour · Cooling (flesh), warming (peel)
Watermelon
Sweet · Cooling (strongly)
Dairy (6)
Nuts & Seeds (12)
Almond
Sweet · Heating
Cashew
Sweet · Heating
Chia Seed
Sweet, slightly astringent · Cooling
Flaxseed
Sweet, bitter, astringent · Heating
Hemp Seed
Sweet, slightly astringent · Cooling
Peanut
Sweet, astringent · Heating
Pine Nut
Sweet · Heating
Pistachio
Sweet, slightly astringent · Heating
Pumpkin Seed
Sweet, bitter · Cooling
Sesame Seed
Sweet, bitter, astringent · Heating
Sunflower Seed
Sweet, slightly astringent · Cooling
Walnut
Sweet, slightly astringent · Heating
Spices & Herbs (30)
Asafoetida
Pungent · Heating
Basil
Pungent, bitter · Heating
Bay Leaf
Pungent, sweet, astringent · Heating
Black Pepper
Pungent · Heating
Cardamom
Sweet, pungent · Cooling (unique among pungent spices)
Cayenne
Pungent · Heating (intensely)
Cilantro
Astringent, bitter, pungent (mild) · Cooling
Cinnamon
Sweet, pungent, astringent · Heating
Clove
Pungent, bitter · Cooling (despite pungent taste)
Coriander
Bitter, sweet, astringent, pungent · Cooling
Cumin
Pungent, bitter · Cooling (Shveta Jiraka/white cumin) to slightly heating
Dill
Pungent, bitter · Heating (mildly)
Fennel
Sweet, pungent, bitter · Cooling
Fenugreek
Bitter, pungent, sweet · Heating
Ginger
Pungent, sweet · Heating
Lemongrass
Pungent, bitter, astringent · Heating (mildly)
Marjoram
Pungent, bitter, slightly sweet · Heating (mildly)
Mint
Pungent, sweet · Cooling
Mustard Seed
Pungent, bitter · Heating
Nutmeg
Pungent, astringent · Heating
Oregano
Pungent, bitter · Heating
Parsley
Pungent, bitter, astringent · Heating (mildly)
Rosemary
Pungent, bitter, astringent · Heating
Saffron
Pungent, bitter, sweet · Cooling (slightly)
Sage
Pungent, bitter, astringent · Heating (mildly)
Star Anise
Sweet, pungent · Heating
Tarragon
Pungent, bitter, sweet (mild) · Heating (mildly)
Thyme
Pungent, bitter · Heating
Turmeric
Bitter, pungent, astringent · Heating
Vanilla
Sweet, slightly bitter · Cooling