What is kadukkan?

Kadukkan is a Malayalam word that translates to "bitterness" or "pungency". It is often used to describe the taste of certain foods, such as green chilies, mustard seeds, or bitter gourd. Kadukkan can also be used to describe a person's temperament or mood, and it is often used as a synonym for "bitter" or "angry".

In Ayurveda, kadukkan is identified as one of the six tastes (shad rasa) which governs different functions within the body; kadukkan has a balancing effect which helps alleviate dryness in the body; helps balance out excessive sweetness by eliminating accumulated kapha from channels & vessels; regulates body energy with its penetrating & heating abilities.