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Turmeric Root
Inventory, 30 lbs : 5.57
This item was last sold on : 12/09/23
Description/Taste
Turmeric is the rhizome, or root stem, of a tropical blade-leafed plant. The rhizome has an abstract finger-like shape with a rough skin marked with knobs and rings. Turmeric rhizomes often grow up to 3-4 inches long and one-half to one inch in diameter. Its skin's color is a combination of pale earth and orange. The flesh is a vibrant carrot orange color and its flavor warm and peppery with very distinct bitter undertones. It is most often boiled and then dried for powdered form, in which it turns its trademark color.
Seasons/Availability
Turmeric is available year-round with limited supplies during the summer months.
Current Facts
Turmeric, scientifically known as Curcuma longa, is a tropical flowering perennial that falls within the same family as ginger and is one of two rhizomes with an appearance similar to the spicy root. It's cultivated and harvested for its roots, though its leaves are also used in some cultures.
Nutritional Value
Turmeric root has both culinary and medicinal benefits that can be attributed to curcumin, the primary active ingredient in turmeric. It is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that is used throughout Ayurvedic and Chinese medicines.
Applications
Fresh Turmeric's gentle carrot/ginger-like flavor lends itself well to both sweet and savory applications. It adds freshness to curries and soups, and can be pickled or fried. Its vibrant color is a wonderful addition to any dish, but can also stain clothing and porous surfaces.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Turmeric is also known as 'Indian saffron' as it has been used as an inexpensive color replacement for saffron in Indian cuisine. It is also one of the five key ingredients that make up curry power. In Western cultures it is used as a coloring agent in processed foods including condiments, most commercially recognizable, yellow mustard. On food ingredient labels, it is commonly listed as natural yellow 3.
Geography/History
Turmeric is cultivated and doesn't exist in the wild. It is believed to be a cross between wild turmeric and another closely related species. Turmeric is propagated by breaking off pieces of the rhizome and replanting to create a whole new plant. It is indigenous to tropical South Asia, specifically Indonesia and southern India, where it has been cultivated for 5000 years. It was first introduced to the tropical western hemisphere to Jamaica in the 18th Century. It has also been naturalized in Hawaii where it has become a commercial crop.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Juice Wave | San Diego CA | 240-246-5126 |
| Olive Tree Marketplace | San Diego CA | 619-224-0443 |
| Roots Craft Juice | Oceanside CA | 760-708-8859 |
| Kettner Exchange | San Diego CA | 909-915-9877 |
| 4 The Love Of Lemons | San Diego CA | 760-613-1104 |
| Bar Same Same (Kitchen) | Carlsbad CA | 760-470-9143 |
| Bica | San Diego CA | 619-669-5725 |
| Dija Mara 2021 | Oceanside CA | 760-231-5376 |
| Nostrum | Escondido CA | 858-442-4527 |
| Sovereign Thai Cuisine | San Diego CA | 619-887-2000 |
| Paradisaea Restaurant | La Jolla CA | 732-915-6669 |
| Monarch | Del Mar CA | 619-308-6500 |
| Temecula Olive Oil Company | TEMECULA CA | 8666548396 |
| Oyster and Pearl Bar Restaurant | La Mesa CA | 619-303-8118 |
| Rancho Valencia | Del Mar CA | 858-756-1123 |
| C 2 C | San Diego CA | 619-972-9345 |
| Beaumont's | San Diego CA | 858-459-0474 |
| Bea Green Cold Pressed Juice | Alpine CA | 619-398-6295 |
| Animae | San Diego CA | 619-925-7908 |
| Cross Roots | San Diego CA | 858-245-1678 |
| PureTaco | Carlsbad CA | 760-845-3346 |
Recipe Ideas
Recipes that include Turmeric Root. One
is easiest, three is harder.
