Tasting chemistry
Friday 11 January 2008 at 12:38 pm.Wine tasters do it. They taste it so that wine can be categorised, identified, and described. Despite of taste being subjective, they do tend to agree in their own specific language. Could the same be done for herbs? I believe that it can. I believe that one will be able to better understand one's remedies. I would even go dare to state that one can taste the basic properties and constituents.
Why not try it yourself?
Just make a standard strength tea and brew it for 3-5 mins. Sit down in a quiet place and write down the taste, shape, colour, sound, texture, movement, temperature. Also write down where in the body it is felt. The feeling it gives you, and its general character...
A few examples:
If it's very astringent there might be quite a lot of tannins present and it will be drying.
If it tastes round, full, soft, the herb might have a lot of demulcent properties (mucilage/polysaccharides).
A bitter taste will stimulate digestive secretions and might be due to several components including iridoids, alkaloids, and/or anthraquinones.
Polysaccharides and saponins might taste sweet - often related to tonics.
Minerals will taste salty/metallic.
Resins feel sticky/binding.
And one can smell and taste the volatile oils.
Have fun!
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