In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), all foods are categorized into 5 flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty. However, the actual taste may differ from how it is described. “Flavor” refers not only to the taste of the food itself, but also to the taste that has an effect on the internal organs after consumption. 
Even within the same flavor category, some foods have warming properties while others are cooling, so t’s important to choose foods that suit your own body type.

1. Sour flavor 

• Associated with the liver.
• Helps astringe and preserve body fluids—for example, it can reduce excess sweating, calm chronic coughing, and help stop diarrhea.
  Examples include lemon, vinegar, umeboshi (pickled plum), pomegranate, rosehips, and apricot.

2. Bitter flavor 

• Associated with the heart.
• Helps clear heat and remove dampness from the body, especially helpful for removing internal heat or inflammation.
• Removes dampness, helping with conditions caused by too much moisture in the body.
  Examples include bitter melon, green tea, aloe, lotus seeds, bamboo shoots, burdock roots, and lettuce.

3. Sweet flavor

• Associated with the spleen.
• Helps strengthen and tonify the body, especially the digestive system.
• Helps relieve pain or cramps.
• Please consume in moderation.
  Examples include Chinese yam, rice, soybeans, potatoes, jujube (red dates), chestnuts, pumpkins, walnuts, and honey.

4. Pungent flavor

• Associated with the lungs.
• Helps promote sweating and stimulate the flow of Qi (energy) throughout the body.
• Too much can be drying and may irritate the body over time, so enjoy in moderation.
  Examples include chili peppers, green onions, onions, ginger, garlic chives, shiso leaves, and black pepper.

5. Salty flavor

• Associated with the kidneys.
• Helps soften hardness in the body and break down buildups like mucus, tension, or lumps.
• Supports kidney function and helps keep your fluids balanced, but too much salty food can weaken the kidneys and harm the body’s water balance, so moderation is key.
  Examples include clams, kelp, hijiki seaweed, squid, oysters, natural sea salt, and nori (seaweed).