Shopping in US Asian Markets – Turmeric Root!
Last week I was shopping for a Thai dinner. I always shop at a very large Asian grocery store not far from where we live. Many of the things I need for fixing Thai dinners, like Thai Basil and Golden Mountain Sauce, are simply not available in our local grocery store. As I was picking up the Thai Basil and other veggies I noticed a full bin of Turmeric Root.
Turmeric Root is another ingredient in Asian dishes. And you don’t find Turmeric in most US grocery stores. However, it is common in many Indian, Sri Lankan and Caribbean dishes so you find it in Asian grocery stores.
You may not have heard of Turmeric. But it is gaining popularity due to some celebrity publicity. Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow are fans — and former supermodel Rachel Hunter says turmeric keeps her model glow going. It was also featured in an “how to cook with” article in USA Today: How to cook with turmeric, the super healthy trendy root.
You don’t use the root itself in cooking. Rather it is the Turmeric powder. Most people describe the flavor as peppery, warm and bitter with a slight fragrance of orange and ginger. You can also use it as a coloring agent. It gives ballpark mustard its bright yellow colour.
Chinese and Indian traditional medicines use Turmeric to treat a variety of ailments. The active ingredient in Turmeric is curcumin which has excellent medicinal properties. There are many websites that talk about the benefits of curcumin. One of them Curcurmin For Health points out that the actual concentration of curcumin is low in the root so extracts are better for health benefits
But, a typical turmeric root contains about 2-5% curcumin, so taking an unstandardized, powdered turmeric root product means that very large amounts would be required to get a beneficial amount of curcumin. Additionally, curcumin is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. While turmeric is excellent when used as a spice, a curcumin extract is a better choice for health benefits.
As for me, I just love cooking with it!
