The astringent taste is a flavor of dryness that is generally produced by tannins in the bark, leaves, and outer rinds of fruits and trees.1 It causes the mucus membranes in the mouth to contract and results in an immediate dry, chalky, and sometimes puckering sensation in the mouth. The astringent taste is frequently complemented by the sweet or sour tastes.
The Astringent Taste—at a Glance
| Balances: | Pitta and kapha |
| Aggravates: | vata |
| Primary Elements: | Air and earth |
| Virya (temperature): | Cooling (though the mildest of the cooling tastes) |
| Vipaka (post-digestive effect): | Pungent |
| Gunas (associated qualities): | Dry, cold, heavy |
| Associated Positive Emotions: | Stable, unified, collected, grounded |
| Emotions of Excess: | Fear, anxiousness, nervousness, sadness, fixation, rigidity, resentment, harshness |
| Location on the Tongue: | Central region at the back of the tongue |
| Affinity for Organs: | Colon |
| Most Affected Tissues: | Plasma, blood, muscle, and reproductive tissues |
| Direction of Movement: | Draws inward |
| Additional Actions: | Tones tissues, reduces sweating, cools excess heat, astringent, vasoconstrictor |