Cut into a turmeric root and the flesh inside is the vibrant burnt yellow you’ll be familiar with if you’ve cooked with the more ubiquitous powdered spice. Fresh turmeric is more powerful and pungent than the dried stuff. Pound it to a paste or fry it for a few minutes for more depth of flavour in a curry. It has an earthy, peppery-citrus taste that borders on bitter, and a touch of the mouth-numbing capabilities of Szechuan peppercorns. For these reasons, you can’t eat much of it raw, but you’ll be rewarded for finding ways to work it into your diet. Turmeric has been credited with a dazzling array of health benefits — it can boost the immune system, aid digestion, fight inflammation, slow down the ageing process of the brain, treat depression and help to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. It has been used for thousands of years in Indian and Chinese medicine, but we’ve only recently learnt that the benefits are down to the high levels of the natural substance curcumin, which provides the colour and clout.
Back to your roots
Fresh turmeric was once hard to source, but now it’s more readily available, in veg boxes and at supermarkets. Look out for small, dark, knobbly roots. It costs about £1.50 for 100g, and will last a long time if stored in a cool, dry place.
Prepare for orange fingers
Scrub and grate, cut into thin matchsticks or pound to a paste. The flesh will stain anything it comes into contact with — skin, clothing and work surfaces — so prepare with caution. Lemon juice can help to remove the stain.
Drink it up
The easiest way to top up on turmeric is to drink it: almond milk with turmeric has become popular, as has fresh turmeric juice (mixed with carrot, cucumber or beetroot). The Hemsley sisters have a recipe for pep-up turmeric tea in The Art of Eating Well: grate ginger and turmeric into a teapot and add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Cover with boiling water and leave for 10 minutes before adding some raw honey. For an extra kick, you can add a squeeze of lemon.
One more thing...
Turmeric can make you fearless. Scientists have found that the curcumin in the spice prevents fear memories being stored in the brain.
How do you eat yours? Tweet @SophieHaydock #STIngredient.
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