Ayurveda and traditional medicine: spices in ritual
Spices as the traditional medicine chest: described as tradition, never as medical advice.
Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine from India, in which spices are described as part of the daily diet and in classical texts. This page describes the tradition and does not give medical advice.
What the tradition says
Ayurvedic texts, such as the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, describe foods and plants by taste, called rasa, and by qualities such as warming or cooling. Practitioners describe turmeric, ginger, cumin, coriander, fennel, black pepper and cardamom as everyday kitchen spices, used in line with a person's constitution, as the tradition understands it.
Foods and blends
Traditional preparations include trikatu, a mixture of dried ginger, black pepper and long pepper, and triphala, a fruit blend. Golden milk with turmeric and kitchari, a rice and lentil dish with spices, are popular. These are described as traditional preparations.
A caution
Traditional use is not proof of benefit or safety. Spices in large or concentrated amounts can interact with medicines or affect conditions. Anyone with a health concern, who is pregnant, or who takes medicine should ask a qualified health professional.
Ayurveda and traditional medicine on EveryMasala
The spices written up so far, best known first.
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreEast Indian arrowrootകൂവ
A wild South Asian ginger valued for its turmeric-scented foliage and starchy rhizome.Root · Earthy and deep · Herbal and green
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreGreater galangalข่า
The pungent rhizome of a ginger relative, essential in Southeast Asian soups and curries.Root · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 3 moreGalangal
The pungent rhizome of the ginger family, essential to Southeast Asian soups and pastes.Root · Sharp and pungent · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇨🇳 China and 4 moreLesser galangal高良薑
An aromatic Asian rhizome with orange flesh and a sweet, gentle spiceRoot · Sweet and mellow · Warm and sweet-spiced
🇮🇳 India and 1 moreIndian costusकुष्ठ (kuṣṭha)
The dried root of a Himalayan thistle, used for centuries in perfumes and traditional remedies.Root · Hot and fiery · Sharp and pungent
🇮🇳 India and 5 moreTurmericहल्दी
The dried rhizome of a tropical ginger relative, prized for its golden color and earthy bite.Root · Warm and sweet-spiced · Bitter
🇮🇩 Indonesia and 5 moreKencur沙姜
A stemless ginger-family rhizome with a peppery, camphorous biteRoot · Sharp and pungent · Herbal and green
🇻🇳 Vietnam and 4 moreHouttuynia折耳根
A heart-shaped herb with a sharp fishy taste used in salads and teas across Asia.Leaf · Sharp and pungent · Citrus and bright
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Indian costus: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Turmeric: J.M.Garg, CC BY 3.0, source
- Houttuynia: Agnieszka Kwiecień, Nova, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Kencur: Hariadhi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- East Indian arrowroot: Jeevan Jose, Kerala, India, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Greater galangal: Raffi Kojian, CC BY-SA 3.0, source