Ingredient Spotlight: Turmeric

At Mother Raw we never stop innovating to create products that aren’t only just delicious and versatile but are also nutrient packed!  We choose each ingredient carefully for its taste, color and health benefits and like to shine a light on each one of them to help you get to know them a bit more!
 
Our ingredient spotlight that we are focusing on here is…
 
Turmeric!
 
Turmeric is no stranger to Mother Raw products – its golden color is found in both our Vegan Queso and Spicy Vegan Queso. More recently, turmeric has made an appearance on the ingredient list for our Lemon Tahini – our newest and potentially most beautiful dressing and marinade! With ingredients like zesty lemon, creamy sesame tahini and of course, vibrant turmeric, this beauty is sure to add brightness to any meal.
 

Why Turmeric?

Turmeric is a popular and well-known spice that originated from South Asia about 4,000 years ago*. Yeah, it’s been around the block! Turmeric is a root that comes from the same family as ginger.  You can buy it ground, in a paste or fresh from the produce section. On top of its versatility in recipes, Turmeric has many other valuable uses, including dyes, traditional medicine, cosmetics and coloring.
 
Punchy with its deep yellow color, this spice is the star of many iconic recipes; from curries to teas, to dressings to marinades. Turmeric adds an earthy, mild, gingery taste profile which makes it widely known as the perfect pairing for savory dishes. Having said that, Turmeric is also the star of many desserts, by balancing sweetness and adding that natural golden glow.
 

Nutritionally Jam-Packed

The nutritional profile of Turmeric is not to be over-looked. A few of the well-known vitamins and minerals that it packs are^:

• Iron
• Manganese
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin C

It also has a high ratio of Omega-3 and Alpha-Linolenic Acid, as well as many antioxidants, which are natural compounds that can protect our bodies from free radical damage that can occur from oxidation*.
 

The Golden Ticket

Curcumin is the most widely known natural chemical component of Turmeric. It is what contributes to Turmeric’s vibrant color and is the most popularized phytochemical that has been researched in possible prevention of disease and maladies+. Phytochemical’s are gaining popularity and are beginning to be researched more, as these are biologically active compounds that are found in plants. Curcumin is most widely known for its anti-inflammatory properties but has also been shown in studies to be useful for digestive disorders and as an anti-microbial*.
 

More Turmeric Please!

Turmeric is a spice that should frequent your cooking and be readily available in your own pantry. You can make it yourself by drying and grinding a Turmeric stem, or you can pick it up from your local grocery store, pre-ground and ready to use. We recommend organic where possible. Pro Tip: Turmeric stains your hands. At Mother Raw, we use coconut oil to remove stains!  
 
Also, make sure you order our Lemon Tahini to try on salads, roasted vegetables and grains! We are sure you’ll love it just as much as we do.
 
 
*https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/
+ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5664031/  
^https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/172231/nutrients