Chances are, you have a forgotten bottle of ground turmeric somewhere in the back of your spice cabinet. Unfortunately, this yummy spice doesn’t usually get a lot of love in our kitchens. Well, that’s all about to change. Keep reading to learn about the benefits of turmeric, and how to incorporate this delicious spice into your cooking.
What is Turmeric?
People have been using turmeric in their cooking for centuries. It’s a staple in Indian curries. It’s also what gives mustard its yellow color!
Turmeric contains compounds called curcuminoids. The most notable of these compounds is called curcumin. Research shows that turmeric and curcumin have some pretty impressive benefits, including powerful antioxidant properties.
How to Cook with Turmeric
Adding turmeric to your everyday meals is a great way to up your intake of this antioxidant. Turmeric comes in several different forms, so you have some options when cooking with turmeric.
Fresh Turmeric Root
Fresh turmeric root looks similar to ginger, which makes sense because they’re actually close relatives. Turmeric has bright orange flesh with an earthy, peppery, slightly bitter flavor. You can usually find them in health food stores and Asian or Indian grocery stores. Choose firm turmeric roots, not shriveled or soft ones.
Dried Turmeric
Dried turmeric is made from fresh turmeric roots that are boiled and then dried. They either come in whole dried pieces, or are ground into a powder. Dried turmeric loses some of its pungency in the drying process. However, it can still add color and warmth to your dishes.
Here are seven yummy ways to add turmeric to your food:
1. Sprinkle On Eggs
Turmeric makes a delicious addition to scrambled eggs and frittatas, if you’re fancy like that! Just sprinkle a bit of ground turmeric on your eggs for an exotic and antioxidant-packed twist on an everyday breakfast.
2. Add It to Rice
Ground turmeric gives plain old rice a fun color and nice, subtle flavor.
3. Blend It in a Smoothie
Break out the blender! Fresh turmeric root makes a great addition to smoothies and juices. This the perfect way to consume more turmeric if you don’t particularly like the taste, since the fruits in the smoothie will mask its flavor.
4. Brew Tea
Brew a cup of turmeric tea by adding ¼ teaspoon of ground turmeric to 1 cup of hot water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes, then strain and drink. Thanks to the turmeric’s increasing popularity, you can also pick up turmeric tea at many well-stocked grocery stores.
5. Make Golden Milk
Kick your turmeric tea up a notch by making Golden Milk. This trendy beverage is made by adding coconut milk and honey to turmeric tea. Can you say yum?
6. Try a Curry
Delight your taste buds with a delicious curry dinner. You can make curries with a variety of meats like lamb or chicken, or you can also make them vegetarian. Most curries include turmeric as one of their ingredients.
7. Make Homemade Mustard
This summertime staple is easy to make at home. Just mix ½ cup ground mustard, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon turmeric and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Should I Take a Turmeric Supplement?
If you don’t love the flavor of turmeric in food, you could take a supplement to get the benefits of turmeric and curcumin.
vitafusion™ Turmeric Curcumin contains 500 mg of curcuminoids per serving, which provide powerful antioxidant properties.* These gummies are vegetarian and do not contain any high-fructose corn syrup, synthetic (FD&C) dyes, artificial flavors or sweeteners, gluten, gelatin, or dairy. Plus, it has an award-winning taste† in a natural mango cream flavor!
We love sharing our insights about vitamins and health. But that doesn’t mean it should be a substitute for professional medical advice. For that, you should talk to your doctor!
†The ChefsBest® Excellence Award is awarded to brands that surpass quality standards established by independent professional chefs.
