100 Years Jay · The Food Class
Are Potatoes Good for You?
When to eat potatoes, why they make everything taste better, and the ancient reference to potato skin on a small burn, in Vaidya Jay's words.
By Vaidya Jay · November 2026
Please consult with your practitioner before doing this. This is for educational and demonstration purposes only.
Vaidya Jay, in his own words. The full transcript is at the end of this page.
Quick Answer
Are potatoes good for you, according to Ayurveda?
According to Vaidya Jay, Ayurveda has a bittersweet relation with potatoes. They are lighter to digest, which is why some cultures eat them when they fast, and they raise the appetite, which is why other cultures pair them with cheese and meat. They are sweet and astringent, especially the skin. And the textbooks of Ayurveda carry an ancient reference: raw potato skin laid on a small burn.
In his words, "we have a bittersweet relation with potatoes when it comes to Ayurveda".
Key Takeaways
- 🌿 Potatoes are lighter to digest. Some cultures eat them when they fast.
- 🌿 Other cultures pair potatoes with cheese and meat: potatoes raise the metabolism or appetite.
- 🌿 Anything eaten with potato tastes better. Fries next to a burger are a palate cleanser.
- 🌿 Potatoes are sweet and astringent, especially the skin.
- 🌿 The ancient reference: raw potato skin laid on a small burn works as an artificial skin. A big burn means a doctor.
- 🌿 In Ayurveda the potato is Aluka, Solanum tuberosum. Peru has at least 300 varieties.
The Ayurvedic View
When should you eat potatoes?
This answer comes from Vaidya Jay's food class, where he walked through the tastes and qualities of everyday foods. On potatoes, he started with the bittersweet relation, then the question of when:
"Usually, potatoes are lighter to digest."
"If you look at some cultures, when they fast, they make something out of potatoes and then eat, right? That's because it's easy to digest."
How We Eat Them
Why are potatoes paired with cheese and meat?
"Now, in other cultures, potatoes are combined with cheese. Potatoes are combined with meat. That means it is capable of increasing the metabolism or appetite, right?"
Then the part every plate already knows:
"anything that you're eating with potato will automatically become more tastier"
"Let's say you're eating a burger and potatoes like a fries. Well, always, it's like a good palate cleanser."
The Taste
Are potatoes sweet or astringent?
Why do fries clean the palate? Vaidya Jay's answer is the taste itself:
"Because potatoes are not only sweet, they're astringent, especially their skin."
Astringent is one of the six tastes of Ayurveda, the one most of us forget. Part 1 of the food class walks through all six.
An Ancient Reference
What is the potato skin remedy for a small burn?
"I'll tell you a great home remedy. Let's say somebody got burnt, okay? What you do is, you take the peeled skin of potato."
On the place where the skin peeled,
"you take the potato skin and then put it on top like that"
He is clear about where it comes from:
"This is a very ancient, you know, reference that comes from the great textbooks of Ayurveda."
An audience member asked whether the skin has to come from a cooked potato:
"It can be from raw. You can just use a peeler and then you can take it out."
And whether it is for scratches too, or mainly burns:
"Mainly for burns because it works as an artificial skin."
"Provided the burn is not extensive, then you need to go to a doctor. But if it's a small burn, yes, this is a good thing to use."
The Name
What is the Ayurvedic name for potato?
"So, in Ayurveda, we call this as Aluka, that is Solanum tuberosum. That is the scientific name for potatoes."
One of his students went to Peru:
"They said they found at least 300 varieties of potatoes in Peru."
At a Glance
Potatoes, as Vaidya Jay sees them.
| Question | Vaidya Jay's view |
|---|---|
| Potatoes in Ayurveda | A bittersweet relation. |
| When to eat them | Lighter to digest. A fasting food in some cultures. |
| With cheese, with meat | They raise the metabolism or appetite. |
| On the plate | Anything eaten with potato tastes better. Fries are a palate cleanser. |
| The taste | Sweet and astringent, especially the skin. |
| The skin on a small burn | An ancient reference: raw potato skin laid on top works as an artificial skin. |
| A big burn | See a doctor. |
The Food Class · Part 1
Start with the six tastes.
This answer comes from Vaidya Jay's food class. Part 1 is the opening: why we are still hungry after we eat, and the six tastes of Ayurveda. From the same class: his answer on mushrooms and mushroom coffee.
Watch Part 1 on YouTube · Mushrooms, from the same class · The Digestion Library
Vaidya Jay's Notes
Frequently asked questions.
Are potatoes good for you in Ayurveda?
Vaidya Jay calls it a bittersweet relation. Potatoes are lighter to digest, which is why some cultures eat them when they fast, and they are sweet and astringent, especially the skin.
When should you eat potatoes?
Vaidya Jay says potatoes are usually lighter to digest. In some cultures, when people fast, they make something out of potatoes and eat it, because it is easy to digest.
Why are potatoes paired with cheese and meat?
In other cultures potatoes are combined with cheese and with meat. Vaidya Jay says that means potatoes are capable of increasing the metabolism or appetite, and anything you eat with potato becomes more tasty.
Are potatoes sweet or astringent?
Both, says Vaidya Jay. Potatoes are not only sweet, they are astringent, especially their skin. That is why fries work as a palate cleanser next to a burger.
What is the potato skin remedy for a burn?
An ancient reference from the textbooks of Ayurveda: take the peeled skin of a raw potato and lay it on a small burn. Vaidya Jay says it works as an artificial skin. If the burn is extensive, go to a doctor.
What is the Ayurvedic name for potato?
Aluka. The scientific name is Solanum tuberosum. One of Vaidya Jay's students found at least 300 varieties of potatoes in Peru.
Read the transcript: potatoes ▾
Vaidya Jay and the class, in their own words · lightly edited for clarity
This is a traditional Ayurvedic teaching. It is education, not medical advice.
So we have a bittersweet relation with potatoes when it comes to Ayurveda, right? Now question is when to eat potatoes? Usually, potatoes are lighter to digest. If you look at some cultures, when they fast, they make something out of potatoes and then eat, right? That's because it's easy to digest.
Now, in other cultures, potatoes are combined with cheese. Potatoes are combined with meat. That means it is capable of increasing the metabolism or appetite, right? Potatoes are one thing that you can say anything that you're eating with potato will automatically become more tastier. Let's say you're eating a burger and potatoes like a fries. Well, always, it's like a good palate cleanser. Why? Because potatoes are not only sweet, they're astringent, especially their skin.
I'll tell you a great home remedy. Let's say somebody got burnt, okay? What you do is, you take the peeled skin of potato. Let's say I got burnt. On the skin where the peeling of the skin happens, you take the potato skin and then put it on top like that. And amazingly, it heals it and brings out quicker, you know, skin. The body develops a faster skin repair, right? This is a very ancient, you know, reference that comes from the great textbooks of Ayurveda.
So, in Ayurveda, we call this as Aluka, that is Solanum tuberosum. That is the scientific name for potatoes. Somebody went to Peru, one of my students went to Peru. They said they found at least 300 varieties of potatoes in Peru. 300 varieties.
So, the skin has to be from cooked potatoes or you can use it raw too? It can be from raw. You can just use a peeler and then you can take it out. So, this is also for just scratches or does it have to be for burns mainly? Mainly for burns because it works as an artificial skin. Ah, yes. Provided the burn is not extensive, then you need to go to a doctor. But if it's a small burn, yes, this is a good thing to use.
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Disclaimer
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult your physician, qualified healthcare practitioner, or licensed healthcare provider regarding your diet and your health, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are taking medications. Individual results may vary.
