Spring is here, and the months of the year where we can eat local, fresh foods are approaching! As we move out of the stillness of Winter into the rapid growth of Spring, there are considerations for the mind, body and spirit to make the transition with ease. One of these is the category of food therapy within Traditional Chinese Medicine, which advocates for eating foods with the sour flavor/energetic to align with Spring.
What is the Sour flavor?
When you think of sour foods, you might feel a pucker in your lips, your salivary glands start to produce liquid to moisten the mouth, and maybe even your stomach start to tighten. This is the action of astringening, or the action of closing openings throughout the body (pores, ducts, sphincters, etc). The Spring season has resonances of tightening in order to have efficient action upward, without wasted energy. Think of a plant that is producing a flower – it needs to have well-managed cellular transport, and not be leaking water back into the ground through the roots.
What Do Sour Foods Do?
Sour foods whet the appetite by promoting salivation and get the digestive system ready to receive food by stimulating bile release. They are said to move stagnation and break up stuck places within the body including stiff muscles, menstrual, and uterine pain. It also tightens things that are sagging or leaking including nasal/facial congestion, diarrhea, fatigue, and lack of appetite from leaky gut.
Lots of Options
There are so many delicious sour foods to choose from, many of which have rich cultural and/or culinary traditions behind their development. Try some that are local to your area, are from your heritage, or something completely new!
- All fermented foods including sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, yogurt, and kefir.
- Fermented drinks including kombucha, jun, sour beers and tepache.
- “Tonics” like apple cider vinegar.
- Tart fruits including citrus (try a kumquat if you ever run across them!), berries, and firm stone fruit like apricots, plums and cherries.
- Tender greens like sprouts, purslane, cress, and young lettuces can all have sour elements to their flavor. Try them with a homemade vinaigrette for a truly puckering *chef’s kiss!* salad.
For further reading:
Spring-Eating With The Seasons by April Crowell
Pucker Up – The Sour Flavor In Health & Healing by April Crowell
