Popular from east to west!
You might already be familiar with this remarkably shaped root, but not like this. Turmeric is well known in the spice rack in its dried and ground form. This spice is a widely used ingredient in many Asian dishes, such as Chinese and Indian cuisine. It is also called yellow root, for obvious reasons: turmeric is yellow-orange to brown in colour. The shape hints at its relationship to another well-known root from the east: ginger.
The flesh of EAT ME turmeric is orange. The taste is bound to surprise you: slightly bitter, slightly peppery, but with a whisper of orange. Incredibly tasty! Many health beneficial properties are attributed to turmeric. Dried and ground turmeric has a much stronger aroma and flavour, but it tastes best fresh.
Just like ginger, turmeric can be used in dishes or infused to create a tea. Turmeric is so versatile; the list of possibilities goes on and on. What about adding a hint of the Orient to mussels? And stir-fried with turmeric, even everyday cauliflower becomes an exotic delicacy.
EAT ME turmeric should be peeled before use. Then it can be sliced and cooked along with the dish. You can also squeeze the root to make juice. But - unless you want yellow fingers - be sure to wear gloves when preparing turmeric...
Store turmeric outside the fridge.
Turmeric is grown in Thailand and Peru. It is a bushy, shrubby plant. The harvest starts around 9 months after planting. Harvesting is purely manual work, as spades and knives are used to extract the roots from the soil. The plants have long, broad leaves. These leaves protect and shade the crop from light so it can be cultivated sustainably, without the use of crop protection products.
