FoundationsPantry study 13 of 27
Turmeric
Strong in southern Thai, Malay, Indonesian, and some Filipino cooking
About this ingredient
Draft reference. This study is part of the cookbook’s foundations and is still being checked. Local names and cultural notes in particular are the author’s working text, pending verification, rather than settled fact.
- Where it is used
- Strong in southern Thai, Malay, Indonesian, and some Filipino cooking
- Flavour and aroma
- Earthy, warm, faintly bitter and resinous; fresh root is brighter than dried.
- How it is used
- Fresh pounded into yellow curry and rempah; colors and seasons rice, marinades and grills.
- How to select
- Firm fresh fingers with vivid orange interior; good dried turmeric is deep gold and fragrant.
- Storage
- Fresh: refrigerate 2 weeks or freeze. Dried powder: airtight, dark, 6–12 months.
- Substitutions
- Dried powder for fresh (use less; color is stronger, flavor flatter).
- Allergens
- None common. Stains hands, boards and cloth — warn cooks.
Names and contextPending verification
The two fields below are drafted and not yet confirmed. They are shown because they are useful, and labelled because they are not final.
- Local names
- Thai: khamin; Malay/Indo: kunyit; Viet: nghệ; Filipino: dilaw
- Cultural notes
- Turmeric marks Malay-world and southern Thai yellow curries; it is aromatic, not just coloring.
The Complete Edition
Turmeric in the book
This study is one of twenty-seven that open The Southeast Asian Table, before the eleven country chapters and the hundred recipes they carry.
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