What Are the Benefits of Turmeric?
Turmeric is the golden spice used across African, Caribbean and Asian kitchens. Here is what it is, the lore around it, and where to buy it.
African Stores Editorial Team
The short answer
Turmeric is a golden yellow spice ground from a root, used across African, Caribbean and Asian cooking. It is prized for warm, earthy flavour and vivid colour, and it is long linked in popular lore to wellbeing. Those benefits are traditional belief, not proven fact, and turmeric is a food, not a medicine. In the UK, African Stores lists shops that stock it.
What to remember
- Turmeric is a golden spice ground from the turmeric root, a kitchen staple in many cultures.
- It brings warm, earthy, slightly bitter flavour and a strong yellow colour to food and drinks.
- The benefits people link to turmeric are popular lore and tradition, not proven medical fact.
- This is general information and not medical advice; turmeric is a food and spice, not a medicine.
- Speak to a pharmacist or doctor before taking large amounts, especially if you take medicines or are pregnant.
Few spices say home quite like turmeric. Its gold colour and warm scent rising from a pot of rice or a simmering stew are woven into everyday cooking across so many cultures, from Sunday pots to festival spreads.
Keeping a jar of turmeric in the cupboard, or a knob of the fresh root in the fridge, is a small way to bring that colour and comfort to your own table wherever you are in the UK.
What Turmeric Actually Is
Turmeric is a spice made from the root of a leafy tropical plant in the ginger family. The root, or rhizome, is boiled or steamed, dried and then ground into the bright yellow orange powder most people recognise, though you can also buy it fresh, looking like small knobbly fingers of ginger with deep orange flesh inside. It has a warm, earthy, faintly bitter and peppery taste, and it stains everything it touches a rich gold, which is why it is sometimes called the golden spice.
Turmeric has been grown and used for thousands of years across South Asia, and it is a familiar sight in African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and Asian kitchens and markets. It is the colour behind many curry powders and spice blends, and it turns rice, stews and pickles a glowing yellow. The compound that gives turmeric much of its colour is called curcumin, a name you will often see on labels and packaging.
The Reputed Benefits of Turmeric
Turmeric carries a long history of traditional use, and many people associate it with general wellbeing. In popular lore and in older traditions such as Ayurveda, it has been valued as a warming spice and taken in drinks like turmeric milk, often called golden milk. You will hear it spoken of in connection with comfort and everyday vitality. It is important to be clear that these are traditional beliefs and popular ideas, not proven facts, and drinking or eating turmeric is not a treatment for any condition.
If you are thinking about taking turmeric or curcumin in larger amounts, such as concentrated supplements rather than the pinch you would use in cooking, speak to a pharmacist or doctor first. Turmeric can interact with some medicines, including blood thinners, and larger amounts may not suit everyone. It also matters in pregnancy, where amounts beyond normal culinary use are best discussed with a midwife, pharmacist or doctor. Treat turmeric as a flavourful food and spice, enjoy it as part of a varied diet, and leave health questions to a qualified professional.
How to Use Turmeric in Cooking and Drinks
In the kitchen, turmeric is easy and rewarding to use. A small spoonful stirred into rice, lentils, soups and stews adds gentle warmth and a beautiful golden colour. It is a backbone of many curry powders and spice blends, and it works well alongside cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic and black pepper. A little goes a long way, as too much can turn a dish bitter, so start small and build up to taste. Fresh turmeric root can be grated or finely sliced, much like fresh ginger, into curries, marinades and pickles.
Turmeric is popular in drinks too. Golden milk is made by warming milk, or a plant based milk, with turmeric and often ginger, cinnamon and a little honey. Turmeric also appears in ginger shots, smoothies and teas, where its earthy note balances sharp citrus and ginger. Because it stains, be careful with worktops, clothing and pale utensils, and remember that a pinch of black pepper and a little fat or oil are traditionally added to help carry its flavour through a dish.
Where to Buy Turmeric in the UK
Turmeric is widely available in the UK. Ground turmeric sits on the spice shelves of most supermarkets, while fresh turmeric root and larger, better value bags of the powder are a speciality of African, Caribbean and South Asian food shops. These shops often carry it alongside fresh ginger, whole spices and ready made blends, and staff can point you to the type you want. To find a shop that stocks it, browse African and Caribbean food stores near you and choose one close to home.
Frequently asked questions
Is turmeric good for you?
Turmeric is a spice long enjoyed as part of everyday cooking, and many people associate it with wellbeing. Those links are popular lore and tradition, not proven fact. It is a food and spice, not a medicine, and this is general information rather than medical advice.
Can I take turmeric every day?
Using turmeric as a normal cooking spice most days is common and part of many cuisines. If you are thinking about concentrated turmeric or curcumin supplements, or large amounts, speak to a pharmacist or doctor first, as it can interact with some medicines.
Is turmeric safe in pregnancy?
Turmeric used in normal cooking amounts is a familiar part of many diets. Amounts beyond ordinary culinary use, such as supplements, are best discussed with a midwife, pharmacist or doctor during pregnancy before you take them.
What does turmeric taste like and how do I use it?
Turmeric is warm, earthy and slightly bitter, with a strong golden colour. Add a small spoonful to rice, stews, soups and curries, or warm it into golden milk. Start with a little, as too much can turn bitter.
Where can I buy turmeric in the UK?
Ground turmeric is sold in most supermarkets, while fresh root and larger bags of powder are a speciality of African, Caribbean and South Asian food shops. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food stores near you that stock it, so you can find one close to home.
