Turmeric: Description and Uses in Cooking and Medicine

Common Name: Turmeric

Scientific Name: Curcuma longa, belonging to the Zingiberaceae family, which is part of the Zingiberales order, class Angiosperms (flowering plants).

Description: Turmeric is a perennial, rhizome-shaped, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The plant's rhizomes are harvested annually; some are used to propagate the plant in the following season, while others are consumed. The turmeric plant can reach a height of one meter. The plant is densely branched. The rhizomes are yellow to orange in color, cylindrical, and aromatic. The leaves are alternate and arranged in two rows. Each leaf consists of a sheath, petiole, and blade. The leaf sheaths form a pseudostem. The petiole is 50 to 115 cm long. The simple leaf blade is 76 to 115 cm long, rarely reaching 230 cm. It is 38 to 45 cm wide, oblong to ovate, and tapers at the margin. At the top of the inflorescence are bracts, which are flowerless; the bracts are white to green, sometimes with a reddish-purple tinge, and have pointed tips.

Culinary Uses: Turmeric is a key ingredient in many Asian dishes, imparting a mustard-like flavor, an earthy aroma, and a slightly pungent and bitter taste. It is mostly used in traditional dishes, but also in some sweet ones, such as sfouf cake. The word "sfouf" is Arabic for "lines," and here it describes the way this cake is cut into lines. This cake is made with turmeric, semolina, and tagine. Turmeric gives the cake a rich yellow color and a distinctive sweet taste; semolina gives it a nutty texture [semolina is a refined coarse wheat commonly used in pasta making]; and tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds, is used to coat or grease the pan instead of oil or butter.

In India, turmeric leaves are used to prepare the sweet dish Patoleo by layering rice flour and a coconut mixture with raw palm sugar on a turmeric leaf, then sealing and steaming it in a special vessel called a chondro.

Turmeric is used in many products, such as canned drinks, baked goods, dairy products, ice cream, yogurt, yellow cakes, orange juice, biscuits, colored popcorn, cereals, sauces, and gelatin. It is also used fresh, similar to ginger. Turmeric has many uses in East Asian recipes, such as in pickles that contain large pieces of fresh, tender turmeric.

Turmeric is also widely used as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It is used in many Iranian stew recipes, the most famous of which consists of 1 kg of beef or lamb, 2 onions, 300 g of yellow peas, 1 tablespoon of turmeric, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 5 dried limes, 4 potatoes, 1 teaspoon of saffron (optional), and 400 g of rice.

Turmeric is also used in the Moroccan spice blend known as Ras el Hanout, which consists of four to seven spices. These spices include: 1 teaspoon each of cumin, ginger, and salt; ¾ teaspoon of black pepper; and ½ teaspoon each of cinnamon, dried coriander, and paprika. Allspice and a quarter teaspoon of cloves. In South Africa, turmeric is added to boiled white rice to give it a golden color. Traditionally, it is served with bobotie, a dish consisting of minced beef with spices and eggs [a ceramic pot containing curried minced beef at the bottom and a thin layer of egg custard on top].

In Vietnam, turmeric is used to color and enhance the flavors of some dishes, such as [bánh xèo] [Bánh xèo is a popular stuffed crispy rice pancake in Vietnam. The name refers to the sound made by a thin layer of rice batter when poured into a hot pan. It is a delicious deep-fried pancake made from rice flour, water, and turmeric powder. It can also be called a Vietnamese crepe]; and [bánh khọt] [Bánh khọt is a Vietnamese cake [a cake popular in the southern Philippines made from rice flour or tapioca flour, with a shrimp filling, served with raw vegetables and fresh chili, and often eaten with a fish sauce mixed with shrimp]. [mì Quảng] [a Vietnamese noodle dish originating from Quang Nam province in central Vietnam, is one of the most popular foods and is served on various occasions such as family gatherings and anniversaries of deaths].

In Cambodia, the Cambodian curry paste [Kroeung] is made from lemongrass, the peel and leaves of macrot lime [a beautiful, aromatic lime from southern China and Southeast Asia], galangal, turmeric, garlic, shallots, dried red peppers, lesser galangal root, Chinese ginger root [Boesenbergia rotunda], and aromatic ginger.

In the Philippines, turmeric is used in many dishes, including fish amok; In preparing and cooking Kuning and Satay, you will need 600g of rump steak, 1cm thinly sliced, with citrus fruits cut into 1x2x3cm pieces; 300g of beef tongue, cut into 1x2x3cm strips; 200g of beef heart, cut into 1x2x3cm strips; and 40 bamboo skewers soaked in warm water.

Fresh turmeric root is widely used in many dishes in southern Thailand.

Turmeric is used in a hot drink called "Turmeric Latte" or "Golden Milk" in India. Golden Milk is made with turmeric, coconut nectar, ginger, black pepper, and natural flavorings.

Medical Uses: Turmeric contains curcumin, a compound with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Therefore, curcumin helps treat the symptoms of arthritis and, in some cases, is more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs.

Curcumin boosts levels of the brain hormone brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which increases the growth of new nerve cells and helps stop various destructive processes in the brain. It also has beneficial effects on several factors known to play a role in heart disease. In addition to being an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent, it induces numerous changes at the molecular level, which may help prevent and perhaps even treat cancer. Curcumin may also cross the blood-brain barrier, leading to various improvements in the disease process of Alzheimer's disease.

Curcumin is as effective as Prozac, which is used to relieve symptoms of depression. Given its numerous positive health effects, such as its potential to prevent heart disease, Alzheimer's, and cancer, curcumin may help extend lifespan.