what the fork is that?

Turmeric!! I often thought these little things looked like Huhu grubs and I knew turmeric as a powder and an ingredient in curry powder and used to colour many foods including mustards. So yesterday I got some and I am on a mission to try and use it and new ingredients and foods and give you some ideas, recipes and feedback. If you have something you have never tried before and curious about how to use it - let me know and I’ll try it out. I started reading about it and went down a turmeric rabbit hole.

“Turmeric is a deep, golden-orange spice known for adding colour, flavour and nutrition to foods. A relative of ginger, turmeric comes from the rhizome (root) of a native Asian plant and has been used in cooking for hundreds of years. It has also been used in ayurvedic and other forms of traditional medicine in China and India.

Turmeric is best absorbed when taken with food. Fatty foods, such as eggs and vegetable oils (such as coconut or olive oil), are the best to combine with turmeric. This is because they contain a compound called lecithin. Lecithin helps the body absorb turmeric. Another ingredient that helps the body absorb turmeric is black pepper. Black pepper contains a chemical compound called piperine. It helps the body absorb as much as three times more curcumin when you take the two together.

An oncology clinical dietitian/nutritionist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, explains that the active ingredient in turmeric is a natural compound (polyphenol) called curcumin, which has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

“Curcumin has many biological activities, not all of which are understood,” Brown says. “Like other colourful plant-based foods, turmeric is rich in phytonutrients that may protect the body by neutralizing free radicals (pollution, sunlight) and shielding the cells from damage.” Diets rich in plant-based foods are associated with prevention of medical conditions such as cancer and heart disease. Anyone who’s trying to manage inflammation could benefit from adding some turmeric to their foods.” She cites inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and other joint disorders, colitis, allergies and infections.