Turmeric - the magic ingredient

Turmeric is the spice of the year, and as such we thought it deserved its own special blog so we can give you a brief lowdown to explain some of the hype.

Origins

Turmeric is the ground rhizome powder taken from a plant of the ginger family, and is native to South Asia where it relies on relatively heavy rainfall. Traditionally, it has been used in Indian medicine and Asian cuisine. It has recently become popular as a colouring agent as well as a crucial ingredient for all types of dishes- not to mention face masks and various other beauty treatments.

Turmeric contains curcumin (which makes up between 2-6% of turmeric), which is responsible for all the great health benefits turmeric has been known to have. These include anti-inflammatory benefits, relieving join pain, improving memory, and even improving blood flow. Fantastic. It is also believed by many to have amazing anti-ageing effects.

Turmeric is often consumed with black pepper. This is because black pepper contains piperine- a natural substance that can enhance the absorption of curcumin by 2000%. 

So how do you eat this magic ingredient more? We’ve got your covered.

 Firstly, a pinch of turmeric is delicious with your breakfast. If you like a subtle and sweet flavour to your cereal, there’s just the right amount contained in our nutty granola recipe found by clicking here.

Turmeric lattes are also a very trendy way to get your daily dose of turmeric, and ours also includes amazing spices like ginger and cinnamon. Better than a coffee fix, this milky drink is a great way to have turmeric.If you're a big fan of savoury food, turmeric is also in most of our curries. Check them our by clicking here

Have any other ideas on how you use turmeric? Let us know and we could feature your recipe in our next blog