Turmeric is a very popular spice. But have you ever thought that without other food materials what does turmeric taste like? Turmeric is a well-known spice used in different dishes especially in almost all dishes of the South Asian region. As most people are aware of the general uses of turmeric, probably you are thinking turmeric tastes disgusting based on its uses. However, I am going to present a detailed article on turmeric taste so that you come to know about the actual taste of turmeric.
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Basics about Turmeric
Turmeric is the golden yellow-colored spice obtained from the roots of Curcuma longa, a leafy plant of the ginger family. This spice has an Indian origin and it is known as Haldi or organic saffron in India and some other countries for its color. Though the roots of turmeric are yellow inside they possess a dark brownish exterior.
Rather than used as spice turmeric has some great medical values and so it has been used in treatments for many years. This yellowish spice is used as a natural dye for its glowing color and also because of its harm-free service.
There are two forms of turmeric namely refreshing and powdered form you can get. The powdered form is mainly used for spicing different curries and dyeing yellow naturally. Refreshing turmeric is vastly used for medicinal purposes. More than 30 varieties of turmeric are available all around the world.
Whatever be the form, what the raw turmeric tastes is our main concern now. Let’s find out the answer in the next segments along with some other information.
What does Turmeric Taste Like?
Now that you know most of the basics about turmeric you should have an idea of what does turmeric taste like in raw form. Genuinely speaking raw turmeric doesn’t give a pleasant taste which you will want to eat. But does turmeric taste like ginger or how it tastes is the leading question.
Turmeric possesses a taste that is not so good to eat. It has a bitter, pungent, peppery, warm taste and has a pungent odor as well which will never attract you to taste it in raw form. That’s why it is widely used in most curries to provide a gentle color, odor, and taste combining with other ingredients.
Turmeric roots look similar to ginger but when it comes to taste, the taste of ginger and turmeric is not the same. Many claim that the taste of the Alleppey variety of turmeric is quite similar to the taste of ginger. But depending on only one form we can not say that the tastes of ginger and turmeric are the same.
What can You Make with Turmeric?
It is already known to you that curries remain incomplete if you don’t add turmeric to them. But turmeric can be put in plenty of other recipes as well when the color is needed to be popped up. I am going to introduce you to such recipes below in this segment.
Salad Dressing
Turmeric can be great for decorating your healthy salad recipe as it gives an aromatic flavor and attractive color. So before serving the salad on the table you can sprinkle some powdered turmeric or add some turmeric roots for decorative purposes.
Tea and Coffee
To spice up a cup of tea or coffee turmeric is widely used all around the world. Those who follow the paleo diet often drink turmeric coffee for effective weight loss. But you shouldn’t put more than half a teaspoon of powdered turmeric into a cup of tea or coffee because excess amounts can alter the taste of tea or coffee.
Smoothies
You can make different types of smoothies using turmeric with other fruits and ingredients that go well with turmeric. Fruits are the main ingredients for smoothies and turmeric adds a spicy flavor and extra nutrition.
Soup
To boost up the nutritional value and flavor of a vegetable soup or any classic lentil you can add some powdered turmeric. Putting in turmeric can also improve the color and aroma of the soup.
Taste of Turmeric in Different Food Items
Our main goal is to provide knowledge about the taste of turmeric through this article. Ideas about the taste of raw turmeric are already given and now it’s time to find out how turmeric tastes in other foods and drinks.
According to the food in which you are using turmeric, the taste of turmeric varies so let’s learn about the different tastes of turmeric in the different items below.
Milk
Turmeric added milk has been used for wound healing purposes from ancient times. A teaspoon of turmeric can enhance the amount of protein in a glass of milk and improve metabolism rate as well. Turmeric dissolves in milk fully yet you will get a taste like silky grains of flavorful sand when you take a sip.
Curry
Turmeric is pretty tasteless when used in curries in a small amount but it will add some spiciness to your food. It also helps to improve the taste of any curry along with other spices used and for that, the individual taste of turmeric in curries can not be identified.
Coffee
Coffee that includes turmeric in it works great for losing weight and also as an antioxidant. But what does turmeric taste like in coffee? With coffee, it gives an earthy and warming taste to your mouth.
Tea
What does turmeric taste like in tea? In the Southeast Asian region “masala chai” is quite famous and turmeric is an essential ingredient of this tea. Like in coffee turmeric gives an earthy taste in tea as well.
Smoothies and Juices
Turmeric is mixed in smoothies or juices to increase the nutritional value only. Now come to the point of what does turmeric taste like in smoothies? Juices and smoothies are always preferred extra sweet which can diminish the taste of turmeric. But if you prefer less sweetened juice or smoothie then you may feel the bitter taste of turmeric.
Sweets
A sprinkle of turmeric can be added to desserts or sweets to balance the sweet flavor. Turmeric provides a balanced sweet and savory flavor with sweet items.
Soup
Now I will answer the question of what does turmeric taste like in soup items? When added to soup, turmeric brings out a complex flavor as there exist many other ingredients along with turmeric.
Health Benefits of Turmeric?
The terms culinary and medicinal are greatly connected to turmeric as this spice has both culinary and medicinal uses. Therefore, we should learn about why it is considered so good in these or ‘what does turmeric do‘.
So let’s find out the health benefits turmeric has that increase its significance in different sectors.
Acts as Antioxidant
Curcumin, the source of turmeric has some anti-inflammatory properties and works as an antioxidant. As a result, turmeric can heal wounds and prevent some inflammatory bowel disorders.
Increases Muscle Strain
Turmeric combined with other spices can show some great health benefits. When turmeric is mixed with pepper it facilitates muscle strain.
Helps in Weight Loss
Turmeric can boost up cortisol levels which ultimately reduces the development of fat cells. Thus it can be said that turmeric works in the same manner as doing workouts. To lose weight if you take turmeric mixed drinks like coffee it will bring out a great result without causing any harm.
Has Great Nutritional Value
Turmeric offers great nutritional value and provides protein, fiber, carbohydrates, minerals like manganese, potassium, and phosphorus. It is estimated that a teaspoon of turmeric can provide 29 calories. Having great nutritional value turmeric helps to keep you strong and healthy.
The origin of turmeric is from curcumin longa and this curcumin helps to secret a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This neurotrophic factor stimulates neuro-highways to control dopamine levels. Alzheimer’s disease with increasing age can be improved with the help of this process. Moreover, turmeric has the capability which can reduce your stress or anxiety level.
Prevents Heart Diseases and Cancer
The turmeric and garlic combo has the power of preventing several heart diseases and cancers. Prevention and cure are not the same so you have to take turmeric before the onset of these diseases.
Improves Arthritis and Skin
There are some qualities in turmeric that can help you to improve the symptoms of arthritis and also helps in keeping your skin radiant. So you can add turmeric to your daily skincare routine for the wellness of your skin. Many people claim that turmeric can brighten up your skin and for this reason in the Indian region ‘Haldi Ceremony’ is celebrated before marriage.
How to Make Turmeric Taste Better?
There is no veil on the fact that turmeric doesn’t taste good and hence we need to find out ‘what does turmeric taste good with‘. To convert the bitter taste of turmeric into a better one what foods taste best with turmeric? Hopefully, you will discover the answer in this segment.
You can pair the flavor of turmeric with beans, carrots, beef while making any innovative dishes. Turmeric also blends well with chilies, cloves, cilantro, coconut, coriander, etc and you can also make a tonic using some other ingredients which will diminish the bitter flavor.
In the above points, you have already read about some recipes which include turmeric. Among them, smoothies, juices, sweets are a great option to pair up with turmeric because they can conceal the bitter taste with sweetness. The most amazing way to suppress the disgusting taste of raw turmeric is using it with pickles. This can help you to preserve the pickle for a long time as well.
Negative Effects of Turmeric
Though turmeric is a natural plant extracted spice that is also widely used in making medicines several minor side effects of it can be observed in the case of some people. Here I will present some common negative side effects of taking turmeric.
- Clinical studies show that gastrointestinal disorders like constipation, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, dyspepsia, etc can appear as side effects of consuming turmeric.
- People with cholangitis, obstruction of the bile duct, gall stone, and other liver diseases are told to avoid turmeric in their food. The reason behind this is that turmeric can increase the secretion of bile.
- If anyone is already taking high dose medicines like an anticancer or immunosuppressant agent he should be cautious about using turmeric or curcumin.
- You will find many packaged powdered turmeric in different shops but not all those are safely made. So try to gather decontaminated turmeric from a reliable source to avoid risks for the negative effects.
- Some studies claim that prolonged use of turmeric can put an impact on your kidneys. Though it is not a common case yet we should remain aware of all possible side effects to prevent them.
Conclusion
The taste of any food material or medicine bears great importance in creating interest for that particular thing. In the case of turmeric, we do not think so deeply about the taste as it is mostly utilized in flavoring or coloring foods. But for some reason, we should keep the idea of ‘what does turmeric taste like‘.
While talking about the taste of turmeric some other factors come up naturally with it. I have discussed all the associated factors related to the main topic so that things get easier for you to understand.
Hopefully, you will read the whole article attentively to gather all the knowledge I have given about turmeric. Consequently, you will get the answer to your question and some possible solutions to the problems that you can face.
The FAQs About The Taste of Turmeric
Here I am going to answer some questions people frequently ask related to the taste of turmeric. The amazing fact is that you will get some associate knowledge regarding the main topic as well. So, along with reading the above article, read this short question-answer session to clear your views further on this topic.
What foods taste best with turmeric?
It is claimed that turmeric pairs best with other spices and herbs like cinnamon, pepper, cloves, ginger, garlic, coriander, etc. Apart from spices, you can also pair up the flavor of turmeric with coconut milk or other drinks and smoothies. I have described the foods which go well with turmeric in the above article more vastly.
Does turmeric taste like curry?
Well, turmeric is used widely and considered an essential ingredient for spicing up curries but it doesn’t taste like curry. Moreover, turmeric is used in making curry powder but the taste of turmeric doesn’t resemble curry powder as well. Turmeric has a different bitter and pungent taste that may seem disgusting to many people.
Does turmeric taste like cinnamon?
Not totally the same but turmeric does taste like cinnamon or cardamom as they also give a little bit of earthy taste. Furthermore, cinnamon is also used as a spice in curries so there is a resemblance between the taste of turmeric and cinnamon. The amazing fact is combined with cinnamon, cardamom, and other spices, turmeric can provide a better taste.
Is Turmeric sweet or savory?
Turmeric is neither sweet nor savory in taste, it provides a pungent, bitter, earthy taste for which it can not be eaten in raw form. But when turmeric is added to sweet dishes or desserts it gives a sweet and savory or balanced sweet taste and flavor. An interesting fact is that it doesn’t taste bad when added to any sweet dishes in small amounts despite having a bitter taste.
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Research References:
- https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752
- https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2020/02/turmeric.php
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/turmeric
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turmeric
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