Herbs

Flavors and Actions of Herbs
by Susan Marynowski 

In the recent discussion of cranberry, someone said that they drank pure cranberry juice (without sugar) and that it was "bitter." Cranberry is actually a "sour" flavor! This has prompted me to write about the flavors, which I believe are a doorway to understanding the plants and their actions. As a perpetual student, this will be a review for me and hopefully interesting for the newer herbalists on the list.

Many traditions categorize plant medicines based on their flavors.
Flavors are a great way to understand plants because they relate to the chemical
composition of the plants, and therefore the actions of those plants.
The Chinese have a 5-flavor system, while the Ayurvedic tradition honors 6
flavors. Native Americans also had flavor categories for plants, as did
the ancient Greeks and other lost western traditions. Not every herb fits
neatly into these categories, and some herbs have more than one flavor,
but this is a great start to understanding plant chemistry. There can be
many subdivisions and nuances in flavor, but here's just a basic description
of some of the flavors of plants, from a multi-ethnic perspective.

PUNGENT: Also called "acrid" or "spicy," herbs with this flavor are warm
or hot and drying in energy. Pungent plants usually contain volatile oils.
Many of our favorite essential oils come from pungent plants. They are
excellent digestive herbs ("carminatives") and blood purifiers and they
move poor circulation and dispel conditions of cold and mucus. They
often move energy from the inside of the body to the outside of the body
("diaphoretic"), opening the pores and allowing sweating to occur. They
are relaxing and also possess antimicrobial activity. They have a direct
effect on the lungs and the colon. Great bunch of plants for "cold" colds
without fevers! Think of herbs in the mint family (marjoram, rosemary, thyme,
lavendar, mints), ginger, herbs in the Apiaceae family (angelica/dong
quai, fennel, coriander, cumin, dill, anise), prickly ash, cayenne, black
pepper, garlic.

SWEET: The sweet flavored herbs are warm-to-neutral and moist in nature.
This kind of sweetness is the full flavor of complex carbohydrates and
other macronutrients, not the empty sweetness of pure sugars (which are
cooling in nature). These herbs/foods tend to build, harmonize,
strengthen, tonify, and nourish the body, especially for those with a lack of energy or weak blood. They have an inward and consolidating action. These plants actually form the bulk of most diets around the world (e.g., grains,
beans). It is now believed that the polysaccharides (long-chain
carbohydrates) in mildly sweet herbs and foods are the reason for their
long-term nourishing and immunostimulant effects. In excess, however,
sweet (esp. empty sweets) can cause congestion and lethargy and dampen (quell) the digestive fires. Examples of sweet herbs include ginseng, jujube
dates, cinnamon, licorice, astragalus. (While classified as a bitter herb,
echinacea also contains these immunostimulating polysaccharides.)

SOUR: The understanding of sour herbs is divided among different
traditions. Some of the sour herbs are warming and moistening. This
warming group tends to gain its flavors through the presence of organic acids
and bioflavonoids. These foods cleanse the body of toxins and promote
digestion. Some are cardiac tonics. They stimulate digestion by directly
affecting the liver and galbladder. Sour herbs are high in vitamins
(e.g., Vitamin C = ascorbic acid). Examples of these warming sour herbs/foods
include citrus, berries (blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, etc.),
plums, peaches, pineapple, hibiscus ("red zinger"), rose hips, hawthorn
berry, vinegar.

ASTRINGENT: Astringent herbs (also called "sour" by the Chinese) are
typically cooling and drying and condensing. They gain their flavor from
the presence of chemical constitutents called tannins. These herbs are
most useful for tissue contraction and fluid absorption, such as in stopping
excess perspiration, loss of fluids, diarrhea, or excess mucus secretion
or bleeding. They are especially tonifying to the mucous membranes of the
digestive tract, urinary tract, uterus, and kidneys. In excess, astringent herbs can actually harm digestion by coating the mucus linings of the digestive tract, just as tannins act to toughen the flesh when tanning hides. Examples include blackberry leaf, raspberry leaf, strawberry leaf, schizandra, black walnut hulls.

BITTER: The bitter herbs are generally cooling and drying in nature. The
bitter flavor comes from chemical components such as alkaloids and
glycosides. Bitter herbs are detoxifying, anti-inflammatory,
antibacterial, and antiviral in action. They stimulate the secretion of bile, which
stimulates the digestion and normal bowel elimination. They also help
clear the blood of cholesterol. This taste stengthens the hearts and small
intestines and cleanses the blood. Bitter is America's least favorite
flavor, with the notable exception of coffee, with its stimlulating
alkaloid, caffeine. Bitter to excess can cause too much cooling and
drying. If bitter herbs are being used for more long-term digestive treatment,
they often are balanced with warming "carminative" pungent herbs. Examples
include dandelion, gentian, turmeric, any of the berberine-containing
plants (goldenseal, barberry, etc.) 

SALTY: The salty taste is generally cold in energy. It stabilizes and
regulates fluid balance and also has a softening effect, such as on
hardened lymph nodes, tight muscles, constipation, or tumors. Salty
herbs have an effect on the kidneys, adrenals, and bladder and they can
improve elimination and bowel action. Salty herbs also help control gas and
coughs. A craving for salt is often a sign of adrenal exhaustion. In excess,
plain salt can be irritating and heating to the body, causing water retention
and high blood pressure. Herbs high in mineral salts, however, will not
cause these complications. Examples include nettles, plantain, seaweeds
(considered warming in some traditions). 

I recommend that you and your herbal friends to get together during the
cold of winter and have an herb tasting. Have one or several friends be
the hosts, who prepare the "mystery" infusions ahead of time. Then, just
like tasting fine wines, you can taste and describe and discuss the flavors
(one at a time!) and try to guess what effects the plants would have and
perhaps even identify the plants from their flavors. This is a great exercise
for even experienced herbalists, and for new herbalists helps to develop the
refined sense of taste needed to begin to know and understand the
plants. The bitter flavor, in particular, is one for which we should all
cultivate a better appreciation!

Now for the person who thought that cranberry was bitter: If you aren't
sure what bitter tastes like, start with some turmeric from the spice
rack, or make some strong yarrow tea, which is mildly bitter. Graduate to some
goldenseal or boneset tea to really get a hit of bitter. Or try some
Swedish bitters before a meal to stimulate digestion. Then compare the
flavor of straight cranberry, and you will know the difference between
sour and bitter. Sour makes your cheeks pucker, while bitter hits the back of
the tongue in a very satisfying way! Cheers! --Susan