Welcome to the Celtnet Guide to Spices entry for Turmeric (Curcuma longa)

Spice Guide Entry For: Turmeric



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Turmeric


This is the description page for Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and includes a description as well as an image, if available and a selection of recipes from this site that relates to the spice: Turmeric.

Sichwan turmeric

Turmeric (also Tumeric, Indian Saffron or Kunyit) is a spice formed from the rhizome of Curcuma longa, a representative of plant genus Curcuma and a member of the ginger family, the Zingiberaceae. The most common form of turmeric is the dried and powdered rhizome which is commonly used in curries and other South Asian cuisine and is a significant ingredient in most commercial curry powders. Turmeric is also used to give a yellow color to some prepared mustards, canned chicken broth, and other foods (often as a much cheaper replacement for saffron). Its main active ingredient (which gives it the distinctive yellow colour) is curcumin. This compound is currently undergoing considereble research as an anti-tumour agent, an anti-inflammatory, as well as an agent that strengthens the blood–brain barrier and blocks the accumulation of β-amyloid proteins in Alzheimer's disease.

Turmeric is often used as a yellow colourant in food and is a crucial component in many curries. However, it is not light fast and should always be stored in a cool, dark, place. Due to it's yellow staining effect turmeric is often confused with saffron (hence it's common name of 'Indian Saffrom') and in many spice markets you may be sold powdered turmeric if you're not careful in place of saffron.


Recipes Utilizing Turmeric

Beef Rendang
Bombay Vegetables
Berbere Spice




Welcome to the Celtnet Spice Guide. As this site has grown and many more recipes have been added it's become evident that a guide to the various herbs available to the cook is necessary. With spices becoming more commonly available and more exotic spices becoming available from all over the world it has become evident that some kind of guide or introduction to spices is necessary. These pages are an attempt at bringing all the various culinary spices together into one place so that you can see what's available and perhaps find something new to use in your own cooking. To use this Spice Guide simply click on the first letter of the herb name above or below. Alternativey why not just browse through the guide. All the spices given here, whether common or rare, can be obtained via your local supermarket (or more often via your local Asian supermarket) or via a specialist spice distributor.

This is the description page for Turmeric and includes a description of the plant and the parts used as spice, as well as an image, if available, or what the spice looks like and a selection of recipes from this site that reletes to the spice: Turmeric.



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