Adventures in Thai Cooking & Travel
Turmeric

• Ingredient Index
• Search Site

Turmeric (Kamin)

by Kasma Loha-unchit
Text Copyright © 1995 & 2000 Kasma Loha-unchit.

   More Ingredients   Thai Recipes    Cooking Classes    Thai Cookbooks   Food Articles

See below for Recipes with Turmeric.

Turmeric (kamin): Unlikeother members of the ginger family used in Thai cooking, fresh turmeric is pleasantly mild and does not have a sharp bite. On the other hand, it has a very loud color – deeply orange inside an orange-tinged beige-brown skin. When added to foods, its carrot orange actually imparts a bright yellow color. The pretty color and delicate flavor of fresh turmeric is well-loved in the southern region of Thailand, where it is extensively used in curries, soups, stir-fried dishes, fried foods, snacks and desserts.

Turmeric is much smaller than ginger, the fleshy root composed of a fat cylindrical rhizome tapered on both ends, from whose sides branch two opposite rows of short, slender fingerlike appendages from one to three inches in length. Growing both straight or curved, smooth or knobby and gnarly, the "fingers" break easily from the parent root and are more often found in markets as unattached members.

Use the fresh root whenever possible for the recipes in this book. It has a delicate flavor that is simply exquisite – fuller, subtly more complex and much more pleasant than the dried or powdered varieties, which can have an unagreeable medicinal smell and taste. Look for it in Southeast Asian markets, or specialty produce markets that carry a wide range of ethnic ingredients, during the warmer months of the year. If you are not able to find it fresh, substitute with a fresh batch of turmeric powder, or grind your own from a dried root. Make sure the powdered kind is pure, as inferior brands frequently have a strong, acrid taste. Use approximately half teaspoon for each one-inch piece (or generous minced teaspoon) of fresh turmeric; often, you will need to add a little sugar to the sauce to bring forth its flavor.

The fresh rhizomes store well if kept dry in the refrigerator – wipe dry if they are damp, then wrap with a paper towel before placing in a ziplock plastic bag. I once was able to keep a very fresh batch for several months; and when they turned moldy and ended up in the compost pile, I was amazed to find them sprouting into beautiful plants (with large broad leaves like hostas and white flowers like hyacinths) some time later. They do have magical qualities and are known for healing scars, including their own!

Text Copyright © 2000 Kasma Loha-unchit in Dancing Shrimp: Favorite Thai Recipes for Seafood. See pages 72 & 73.

This is just one of many listings in the "Alphabetical List of Ingredients" in chapter four (pages 49 to 73) of Dancing Shrimp: Favorite Thai Recipes for Seafood.

Ingredient index   |  Return to Top

Turmeric (Ka-min): Most people in the West are familiar with turmeric in its dried, powdered form as the spice that gives curry powder its characteristic deep yellow color. The dried powder is very mild and, if it has been around for a while, has little flavor, despite the loudness of its color.

Fresh turmeric, on the other hand, has a distinct flavor, very pleasing though delicate. The fleshy rhizome has a cylindrical central root stem from which branches short, fingerlike appendages. These fingers, about two to three inches long, break off easily from the parent. There are several kinds of turmeric. The common variety has a bright orange flesh, just like a carrot – some people swear it smells like carrot and has a sweetness reminding them of carrot. Its aroma is subtle, and it has a root quality to its taste. Though brown-skinned with ringlike markings, tinges of orange show through noticeably on the outside. The deep orange color of this turmeric imparts a rich yellow to curries, soups and stews and rice dishes. It is used extensively to flavor and color the food of southern Thailand, including the delicious turmeric fried fish

Another variety, known by some as "white" turmeric, is consumed by Southeast Asians and available from some of their markets during late spring and summer. Its flesh is a lighter color than common turmeric; its flavor, however, is not as subtle, and some roots can be quite pungent. Southeast Asian cultures not only cook with this turmeric but eat the young roots raw or blanched, dipped in spicy sauces.

Through the ages, turmeric has been sought as a medicinal herb. Herbalists are familiar with its stimulant and tonic properties and prescribe the juice extracted from the rhizome as an internal antiseptic and antidote to blood poisoning. In traditional folk medicine, the dried root is ground and rubbed on the skin to treat skin diseases; mixed with coconut oil, it speeds the healing of wounds and minimizes scarring. It is also believed to possess magical powers: a piece of the wild rhizome ingested or worn is said to strengthen one's constitution when magic words are chanted to invoke its protective essence. Finally, turmeric has been valued for centuries as a natural cosmetic and dye, coloring the vibrant saffron robes of Buddhist monks. Blended with pomegranate skin, it produces a rich reddish brown color; with acacia leaves, a lovely shade of green; and with lime, a pretty orangish red.

Ingredient index   |  Return to Top

Recipes with Turmeric : 
    Main Courses
       Muslim Yellow Rice with Chicken and Roasted Spices (Kao Moek Gkai)
    Seafood
       Catfish Rounds Simmered in Turmeric-Flavored Coconut Sauce (Dtom Kem Gkati Bplah Doog)
    Desserts
       Shrimp filling for Kanom Krok (Sweet and Savory Grilled Coconut-Rice Hotcakes)

Options:  Ingredient index   |  Recipe index   |  Articles on Thai food and culture   |  Thai cooking classes   |  Thai cookbooks   |  Thai markets   |  Best Thai brands   |  Contact Kasma   |  Return to Top  

See our Online Markets page for online sources of Thai ingredients. If they do not have the product you wish, inquire by email if they will order it for you.

Other Sites:  Info on Turmeric  

About this site
Text Copyright © Kasma Loha-unchit, 1995 in It Rains Fishes, and 2000 in Dancing Shrimp. All rights reserved.
Drawing #1 Copyright © 2000 Toby Goodenough. All rights reserved.
Drawing #2 Copyright © 1995 Margaret DeJong. All rights reserved.
All material on this website is Copyright © 1995 to 2008 Kasma Loha-unchit. All rights reserved.
For comments, feedback or questions, contact Kasma.
Page added 15 June 2002. Last updated 1 November 2002.