Turmeric

Turmeric is one of the world’s most revered ancient spices. It has been enjoyed for nearly 4000 years, as a culinary spice, in religious ceremonies, and as a remedy in Ayurvedic medicine – a health practice in which the goal is to cleanse the body and to restore balance to the body, mind, and spirit.
Turmeric has also seen trends in recent years due to its perceived health benefits thanks to the curcumin content. Curcumin has been demonstrated to be a highly effective natural anti-inflammatory.

Turmeric, the Golden Spice

The unmistakable, brilliant ochre colour and rich, earthy flavour has earned turmeric the nickname of Indian saffron. Turmeric is of such significance to Indian culture, that the country produces nearly all of the world’s turmeric crop and consumes around 80% of it.

Bart Fairtrade and Organic Turmeric comes from the Keralan Coast of India, a region that is renowned for its high curcumin Alleppey turmeric. The deep, ochre colour denotes the high curcumin content, between 3-6%, the darker the yellow the higher the curcumin, which also adds flavour. Standard turmeric tends to be a brighter yellow with curcumin levels of 2-4%.

We also import turmeric from Cambodia, which we use to produce our Bart High Curcumin Turmeric. This turmeric is cultivated in a protected area and as part of the regeneration of Cambodian agriculture. The turmeric is hand harvested and naturally has twice the curcumin level of our standard turmeric.

The Global Spice

Turmeric is one of the key ingredients in many Asian dishes, imparting a mustard-like, earthy aroma and pungent, slightly bitter flavour to foods. Blended with ground cumin, coriander, ginger and cardamom, turmeric makes the perfect spice mix for curries. In Indian cuisine, a family will create their own Garam Masala (mixed spice blend), a unique blend of these core spices. Although, predominantly consumed in India, turmeric's history and unique properties means it is prevalent in many other cuisines as well, including Middle Eastern, Iranian, Turkish, Indonesian, Thai and Cambodian.

How to get the most out of your turmeric

We have a selection of recipes that include turmeric; most notably a selection of Indian inspired curries. However, there are a number of other easy ways you can use turmeric; mix a teaspoon through your scrambled eggs, stir through overnight oats, or try with hot water or milk as a turmeric latte. Black pepper has been proven to aid turmeric absorption, so mix a little crushed black peppercorns in too.