TCM Basics 101: Five Flavors of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Sour

Sour is the taste of Wood. Wood element has the natural tendency to move up and out just like how a tree grows. Sour has similar characteristics like that of Wood and tree. This characteristic allows the flavor to astringe and constrict abnormal leakage of fluids and energy in the body and guide the energy or qi back to the Liver.

The Liver plays multiple significant roles in the body under the TCM theory such as regulating emotion, promote digestion and absorption, maintenance of qi and blood circulation and reproductive function, maintenance of flexibility in tendons and ligaments. However the Liver can be exhausted and “dehydrated”, either through overwork or undernourishment. The Sour flavor can preserve and renourish the Liver, thus nourishing the Blood and softening the tendons and ligaments in the process.


Some of the examples of herbs that have the flavor of Sour are peony root, dogwood fruit, Schisandra berry.

Some of the examples of foods that have the flavor of Sour are lemon, rosella, lime, cherry.

Read more about the Introduction of Five Flavors of Traditional Chinese Medicine here.

Basics of TCM, TCM(Traditional Chin Med), TCM WellnessXiang Jun LimDr (TCM) Xiang Junacupuncture, healing, tcm, western medicine, sour