Here are the 22 abhakshya (absolutely forbidden) foods in Jain practice, as noted in traditional texts. They are grouped by category and explained simply:

• Five udumbaras (fruits with many seeds): udumbar varieties such as certain milky figs and similar fruits.
• Four maha-vigai (major restrictions, often listed together): honey, meat, alcohol, and certain dairy/fermented items.
• Water or any liquid kept in leather containers.
• Honey used as a collyrium (eye salve).
• Asafoetida (hing) in contact with leather.
• Flowers.
• Food eaten at night (ratri bhojan).
• Fermented rice gruel (puspitakanjika).
• Ananta-kāyas (root/tuber vegetables, e.g., potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, etc., plus related items).
• Pickles (sandhana).
• Pods (simbi) such as Raja-masa (varieties of seed-pods).
• Unsplit or hard-to-digest aubergines, and related items like certain jujubes and betel-nuts.
• Unknown fruits.
• Curds kept for more than two days.
• Tainted or spoiled food (vyapanna-bhojya).
• Extra restrictions that sometimes accompany specific days or vows (e.g., certain fruits or foods restricted on particular tithis or during paushadh).

Notes:

• The list also sometimes includes additional items like certain ice, snow, or earth-related foods in some traditions, and it is common for lay Jain practices to vary slightly by sect (Digambar vs. Shwetambar) and by vow or observance.
• Ananta-kāyas are said to be “infinite-bodied” beings; root vegetables are treated as containing many such life-forms, which is why they are forbidden in many traditions.

If you want a concise, canonical listing exactly as discussed in the traditional Pravacanasāroddhāra lineage, you can read more here .

Important contextual note:

• Digambar and Shwetambar traditions sometimes differ in the details or emphasis of certain items on the list. The core principle is ahimsa (non-violence) toward all life forms, guiding which foods are considered unsuitable for dedicated Jain practice. You can explore related discussions on Jain diet and ahimsa within Jain Knowledge resources.