Let us celebrate the Ancient wisdom of India – the “Ayurveda (The Knowledge of Life)” through its food concepts on the eve of the 7th Ayurveda day 2022 (23rd October 2022) announced by the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India
What is Ayurveda Aahara?
Ayurvedic Aahara refers to traditional healing foods prepared using recipes from ancient Ayurvedic texts. These foods derive their healing properties from ingredients combined to balance the five elements—space, air, fire, water, and earth—in the body. The imbalance of these elements causes disturbance in body functions. The ayurvedic dietary recommendations, medicinal remedies and lifestyle helps in balancing these elements in the body in resonance with nature, thereby maintaining good health. The Ayurveda Aahara also includes the Pathya aahara (ie. foods that are specified for consumption during or post specified diseases & disorders).
Dietary recommendations are made based on an individual’s body constitution: Vata (space and air), Pitta (fire and water), and Kapha (earth and water).
Ayurvedic Foods for you
Some examples of Ayurvedic food preparations include Halu Kashaya, Jaljira powder juice, Nannari Sharbat, Tambuli, Ondelega chutney, Neem flower chutney (Veppampoo Thuvaiyal), bamboo shoot curry (Kalale Sambar), Koove Hittu (Tikhur), and Bakhar herbal rice drink (made with Terminalia arjuna churna). Ayurvedic foods are also recommended for managing health conditions such as diabetes and osteoporosis.
How do you know it is Ayurveda Aahara?
There are numerous books on Ayurveda Aahara, namely, Abhinava Chintamani, Ashtanga Hridaya, Ayurveda Samgraha, Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Charak Samhita, Rasa Pradipika, Rasamanjiri, Sahasrayoga, Siddha Yoga Samgraha, Sushruta Samhita, Vaidya Chintamani, Yoga Chintamani etc. FSSAI lists out 71 books on Ayurveda that can be used for preparing Ayurveda Aahara. These books reveal the food habits of our ancestors from Vedic period.
These books contain immense knowledge, which passionate food enthusiasts and entrepreneurs can explore and share, presenting this rich ancient wisdom to the general public.
What does FSSAI say about Ayurveda Aahara?
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India defines Ayurveda Aahara as food prepared using the recipes, ingredients, or methods described in authoritative Ayurvedic texts.
For example,
The ancient Ayurvedic text Susruta Samhita describes a meat preparation called Vesavara. To make it, bone-free meat is steamed, mashed into a paste, and mixed with pippali (long pepper), sunthu (dry ginger), marica (pepper), guda (jaggery), and sarpi (ghee). The mixture is cooked together, producing Vesavara. This preparation is heavy to digest, unctuous, strengthens the body, and helps treat diseases of Vata origin.
In Ashtanga Hridaya, Vagbhata describes the preparation of Panchamrith, a sacred Ayurvedic formulation made from sour curd, rock sugar (mishri), honey, ghee, dry ginger powder, pepper powder, and cumin (jeera) powder. This preparation is believed to help balance the Tridosha.
These Ayurvedic recipes can benefit people, and Food Business Operators can make these foods available to the consumers in suitable packaged formats that preserves its benefits. The potential for Ayurvedic foods in both the Indian and International markets is still unexplored. Foods that are industrially manufactured and packed according to Ayurvedic recipes may also qualify as Ayurveda Aahara, provided they retain the quality and characteristics described in Ayurvedic texts. However, Ayurvedic drugs and proprietary Ayurvedic medicines do not qualify as Ayurveda Aahara. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has established regulatory requirements for Ayurveda Aahara, and all foods manufactured, packed, sold, marketed, distributed, or imported under this category must comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Ayurveda Aahara) Regulations, 2022. These foods should have this logo on the front of the pack of their labels.
FSSAI requirements of Ayurveda Aahara?
Here are the things to take care of before calling Ayurveda Aahara
- The Ayurveda Aahara should not be administered to infants upto the age of 24 months and it should not have added vitamins, minerals & amino acids, other than those naturally present.
- The ingredients used in the preparation Ayurveda Aahara should meet the purity criteria as specified in FSSAI regulations or Indian Pharmacopoeia, Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, British Pharmacopoeia, United States Pharmacopoeia or relevant BIS Specifications, or Quality Standards of Indian Medicinal Plants as published by Indian Council of Medical Research.
- The regulatory requirements differ for different categories of Ayurveda Aahara as described by FSSAI. Only the permitted additives in the Ayurveda Aahara regulations shall be used.
- All Ayurveda Aahara products must meet the required microbiological standards & contaminant levels as specified in these regulations. Additionally, it shall comply with the Packaging, Labelling & Display and Advertising & Claims regulations.
Ayurvedic Aahara are not something very different from what you might already be eating. Here are some Ayurveda recipes from Susrutha Samhitha that are similar to some commonly relished foods of our times. Madhumastaka, Samyava and Vatakaare are savoury like snack preparations.
- Madhumastaka is a dough prepared as thin discs, with a filling of sugar, ghee, and other ingredients placed inside. The dough is folded around the filling and cooked by steaming.
- Samyava is a dough mixed with milk and sugar, kneaded thoroughly, and shaped into thin discs. The discs are deep-fried in ghee, then sprinkled with powdered sugar candy, cardamom (ela), pepper (marica), and dry ginger (adraka).
- Vataka (Vada) are flat, round discs made from thick paste of pulses added with vegetables and spices and deep fried in oil and consumed warm as snacks.
- Payasa is a common sweet dessert. It is a milk pudding, a mixture of boiled rice and milk added with sugar or jaggery) that stays long in the stomach, bestows strength, increases fat and Kapha and is hard for digestion.
- Krsara is a thick gruel made by boiling tila (sesame), tandula (rice), and masa (black gram). It increases Kapha and Pitta, reduces Vata, and strengthens the body.
It is time to bring back some of the goodness of the ancient knowledge back into our lives and diet. Simply put “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”.