Turmeric

Turmeric is one of the key ingredients in many Asian dishes, imparting a mustard-like, earthy aroma and pungent, slightly bitter flavor to foods.[7][8] It is used mostly in savory dishes, but also is used in some sweet dishes, such as the cake sfouf. In India, turmeric leaf is used to prepare special sweet dishes, patoleo, by layering rice flour and coconut-jaggery mixture on the leaf, then closing and steaming it in a special utensil (chondr?).[27] Most turmeric is used in the form of rhizome powder to impart a golden yellow color.[7][8] It is used in many products such as canned beverages, baked products, dairy products, ice cream, yogurt, yellow cakes, orange juice, biscuits, popcorn, cereals, sauces, and gelatin. It is a principal ingredient in curry powders.[7][28] Although typically used in its dried, powdered form, turmeric also is used fresh, like ginger.[28] It has numerous uses in East Asian recipes, such as a pickle that contains large chunks of fresh soft turmeric. Turmeric is used widely as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. Various Iranian khoresh recipes begin with onions caramelized in oil and turmeric. The Moroccan spice mix ras el hanout typically includes turmeric. In South Africa, turmeric is used to give boiled white rice a golden color, known as geelrys (yellow rice) traditionally served with bobotie. In Vietnamese cuisine, turmeric powder is used to color and enhance the flavors of certain dishes, such as b nh xŠo, b nh kh?t, and m Qu?ng. The staple Cambodian curry paste, kroeung, used in many dishes, including fish amok, typically contains fresh turmeric. In Indonesia, turmeric leaves are used for Minang or Padang curry base of Sumatra, such as rendang, sate padang, and many other varieties. In the Philippines, turmeric is used in the preparation and cooking of kuning, satti, and some variants of adobo. In Thailand, fresh turmeric rhizomes are used widely in many dishes, in particular in the southern Thai cuisine, such as yellow curry and turmeric soup. Turmeric is used in a hot drink called "turmeric latte" or "golden milk" that is made with milk, frequently coconut milk.[29] The turmeric milk drink known as haldi doodh (haldi means turmeric in Hindi) is a traditional indian recipe. Sold in the US and UK, the drink known as "golden milk" uses nondairy milk and sweetener, and sometimes black pepper after the traditional recipe (which may also use ghee).[29] Turmeric is approved for use as a food color, assigned the code E100.[6][28] The oleoresin is used for oil-containing products.[6] In combination with annatto (E160b), turmeric has been used to color numerous food products.[6][28] Turmeric is used to give a yellow color to some prepared mustards, canned chicken broths, and other foods?often as a much cheaper replacement for saffron.