Where Exactly Can I Buy Fresh Turmeric Root?

[Jingthing]

I read this is a common ingredient in South Thailand cooking. But I want to eat some raw everyday as a nutritional supplement. Turmeric is supposed to be very good for you. However, the powders here are cheap and taste bad raw, I can't find a way to cook with turmeric everyday (a half a teaspoon or an inch of raw root is the dose), and I can't find supplements either (available in the west).

The outside looks like ginger, but inside yellow/orange. The Thai name is Kamin. Where can I find these exactly?

Another idea is to find some better quality powder and put the stuff in empty capsules, where can I score empty pill capsules?

Health info:

The disease-fighting actions of turmeric come from a compound called curcumin. Research suggests that curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and antioxidant properties that may be protective against several types of cancers, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

Dr. Bharat B. Aggarwal, a professor of cancer medicine at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston says that in India where turmeric is consumed daily, the rate of, lung, colon, prostate and breast cancer is ten times lower than in the U.S. Curcumin appears to block the development and multiplication of several types of cancer cells and enhance full body immunity.

“I cannot think of anybody who should not use curcumin, except people who are on blood-thinning medication, since curcumin also thins the blood,” Aggarwal says. He suggests cooking with half a teaspoon of turmeric a day (it doesn’t taste good raw). With a green light from your physician, Aggarwal recommends supplemental curcumin; 500-1,000mg per day if you are at risk for or suffering from a chronic disease, and 500mg per day to for overall health benefits.

For information and recipes using turmeric go to: www.INDOGEN.NET.

Edited January 28, 2008 by Jingthing

[sbk]

Any open air fresh market will have fresh turmeric root Jingthing. It is extremely common, at least where I live.

I can't imagine Pattaya markets don't have it.

[Jingthing]

Any open air fresh market will have fresh turmeric root Jingthing. It is extremely common, at least where I live.

I can't imagine Pattaya markets don't have it.

Thanks. It looks like ginger and galangal to me (though I can tell those apart). Friendship doesn't have it.

[thaitot]

In Chiang Mai every open air market including lotus has only at lotus it is usually bundled with other stuff for tom yum

[Yorkie]

Any open air fresh market will have fresh turmeric root Jingthing. It is extremely common, at least where I live.

Oddly enough, when I was visiting Surin's morning market to capture images for my website, I only saw one stall with fresh turmeric root.

Of course, you need to look in the catapult's section?

Cheers

Y

[nonameidentified]

I'm not sure about Pattaya markets but i know a lady who sells cooked turmeric roots and steamed peanuts outside Sriracha markets every morning.

[Jingthing]

In Chiang Mai every open air market including lotus has only at lotus it is usually bundled with other stuff for tom yum

I think you might be confused with galangal. Those bundles always include galangal, have never seen turmeric in the bundle. In fact, turmeric root is not used in tom yum.

[lotus eater]

This may be going off at tangent, but what is a palatable way, farang- or thai-style, in solid or liquid form, to consume turmeric when living in Thailand? (In indian cuisine of course it is an essential ingredient of 99% of curries.)

[Chang_paarp]

This may be going off at tangent, but what is a palatable way, farang- or thai-style, in solid or liquid form, to consume turmeric when living in Thailand? (In indian cuisine of course it is an essential ingredient of 99% of curries.)

In Issan the Thai use fresh turmeric as a skin cleanser. It is the only time the like to be yellow, usually white it the goal. The medical qualities of Turmeric are widely known to Asians.

Be aware the the stuff stains. You will find it takes several days to wash off you skin, and will make a shirt poka dotted very quickly. So eating it or putting it in a health drink can lead to stained teeth and hands.

[Jingthing]

Yes, it is very staining, that's for sure! I spiced up a Thai style soup with some of the powder today so I ended up with some kind of Indian/Thai fusion. It even colors dishes, you have to scrub to clean out the yellow. Another warning, I tried microwaving some powder and water and it smelled up my place for days, kind of a dirty sneaker smell, yum yum. I am thinking maybe the root could be chopped up and swallowed with water past the teeth which I will try when I do find the root.

It is in mustard as a coloring agent. I am trying to find out how much mustard you need to eat to get the dose I am looking for. I like mustard. Yes, Indians tend to eat it every day if you aren't Indian, it is a challenge. That's why they sell supplements.

[Jingthing]

OK, I found an easy and not too disgusting way to eat turmeric daily:

Pour boiling water over 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder. Add some honey and

either grated ginger or cardomom pods. I tried it with just honey and

it was actually rather pleasant! The problem with cheap powder though

is that it is impure and very yellow. That yellow is food coloring.

The actual natural color is deep orange. Apparantly it is possible to

get pure orange powder from Indian shops, but I haven't looked for this as yet.

The turmeric rises you your body temp, like durian, so I wouldn't go more than 1/2 teaspoon daily.

I did the labelled bin for fresh turmeric root today at Tesco Lotus. However, they were out of stock. Dealing with the fresh stuff is very staining, I hear. One easy way to get at it might be to run it over a grating device like a hard cheese. Now, what to do about the curry farts?

Edited January 30, 2008 by Jingthing