The Five Flavors Dull the Palate
Singles out taste specifically within chapter 12's broader warning about sensory overload, arguing that a diet of constant strong flavor actually numbs the ability to taste at all.
Chapter 12 lists sensory excess across three senses in sequence, and the flavor clause — "the five flavors dull the palate" — sits in the middle of that list, between color and hunting. The "five flavors" refers to the sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, and salty tastes recognized in classical Chinese cuisine and medicine; the claim is that a palate constantly hit with strong, elaborate seasoning becomes less sensitive over time, not more refined. This is the sensory version of a pattern the text applies more broadly: constant intensity produces numbness, while restraint preserves sensitivity. The chapter's resolution, that the sage is "for the belly, not for the eye," applies just as directly here: eating for genuine nourishment rather than for the display and stimulation of elaborate flavor is the chapter's implicit dietary advice, though it is stated as philosophy rather than as a recipe.
The five flavors dull the palate.
Tao Te Ching