Turmeric Powder (ounce) Spices Inc.

Pronounced “too-mer-ick”, Turmeric, Curcuma longa, is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant. A member of the ginger family, Turmeric is native to tropical South Asia. Turmeric is a central ingredient in Curry Powders and pastes, Masalas, Ras El Hanout and is also called Indian Saffron or Curcumin Turmeric. Turmeric is also frequently misspelled as tumeric. Turmeric grows wild in the forests of South and Southeast Asia. It is one of the key ingredients in numerous Asian dishes. Tamil traditional medicine, called Siddha, has recommended turmeric for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Our Turmeric comes from Alleppey, a region in the farthest reaches of southwestern India. This turmeric is produced from the “fingers”, the appendages separated from the main rhizome. The “fingers” possess a greater curcumin content (in essence better coloring), more flavor (because of their higher volatile oil) and this provides an enhanced quality Turmeric for grinding. This top quality Turmeric contains 5%-6% curcuminoids (a group of yellow pigments) of which curcumin is the primary pigment. Curcumin gives the rhizome its orangish yellow coloring and this color level is also an indication of its quality. Turmeric is traded world-wide based on its curcumin content. Be careful when handling this, as it will stain hands, cooking utensils and even your clothes. Use Turmeric with beans, chicken, eggs, fish, meat, rice and spinach. Turmeric works well in combination with cilantro, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, ginger, mustard seeds, paprika and pepper. The flavor is a complex, rich and woody aroma with citrus, floral and ginger undertones. The flavor is slightly sour and bitter, slightly pungent, warm and musky.