Turmeric. what is it good for?

[giggler]

I see this in recipes. but to me it has no flavor.

Is it just for yellow color?

Is it just my Taste Buds?

Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[Badjak]

It does have flavour.
Definitely very bitter if you use too much of it.
Maybe try getting some fresh turmeric, or a fresh(er) part of dried and ground

 

[taxlady]

If you do get some fresh turmeric or a piece of dried turmeric to grind, just be aware that that yellow colour is very staining. It will stain your hands, your cutting board, your clothing if it gets on them, etc.

 

[cookieee]

May I suggest you do a study on TURMERIC. Too many good things (health wise) for me to type up. As far as cooking with it goes, I have over 100 recipes for cooking chicken with it. And just about everything else. Here is a good marinade that can be used on all types of meat and poultry.

Island Marinade

2/3 cup pineapple juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 TB. dark brown sugar
2 TB. cider vinegar
1 TB. TURMERIC
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Source: GF 8-88

 

[blissful]

It is used in curries. We don't eat a lot of curries.
It tastes better to use fresh than dry.
I've used it in a turmeric honey hot tea with plant milk.
Health wise a little black pepper with turmeric makes health benefits more bioavailable.
I use it in vegetable sauces that mimic cheese to give it that color, yellow.
I drink a small spice shot daily with turmeric/black pepper/black cumin seed/amla, 1/2 teaspoon in water.

 

[taxlady]

It is used in curries. We don't eat a lot of curries.
It tastes better to use fresh than dry.
I've used it in a turmeric honey hot tea with plant milk.
Health wise a little black pepper with turmeric makes health benefits more bioavailable.
I use it in vegetable sauces that mimic cheese to give it that color, yellow.
I drink a small spice shot daily with turmeric/black pepper/black cumin seed/amla, 1/2 teaspoon in water.

Good point about the black pepper making the health benefits more bioavailable. I take a curcumin supplement (which comes from turmeric) with some sort of black pepper extract every day to help with arthritis. I am not sure of the mechanism, but between that and watching my nightshade consumption, the arthritis in my hip seems under control, almost never any pain. I was walking with a cane before I made those two mitigations.

 

[pepperhead212]

Dry turmeric powder doesn't give dishes a lot of flavor, but fresh has a different, and stronger flavor, and is used in a lot of southern Thailand dishes, or Malaysian dishes, instead of galangal or ginger - other rhizomes used in SE Asian foods. And those are also totally different dried; though dried ginger is used a lot more in other areas, esp. for sweets, the flavor has changed greatly, if you think about it.

As others noted, it is often used as a medicinal additive - just a small amount in many Indian dishes, for this, along with many other spices, which add a lot more flavor. If you get it in an Indian market, it will be much fresher, due to turnover, and will have a little more flavor, but not something noticeable in the dishes.

 

[blissful]

Consumer report on lead and bacterial levels in turmeric supplements and the good ones: https://www.consumerreports.org/supplements/testing-turmeric-and-echinacea-for-potency-and-purity/
Consumer Report on heavy metals in Turmeric powder/brand and the good ones: https://www.consumerreports.org/hea...contain-arsenic-cadmium-and-lead-a6246621494/