Curcuma - often written as "turmeric" - is also known as "turmeric root", "yellow ginger" or "Indian saffron" and is best known as a curry spice. Curcuma is grown in Southeast Asia. In the Asian world, curcuma has been used as a medicinal plant for thousands of years. Curcuma is highly valued in Ayurvedic medicine - hence the name "Indian saffron".

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is said to have anti-inflammatory effects.

There are many different areas of application. Turmeric is often used to treat digestive problems and other ailments. We have provided links to a few recommended reading materials below.

Turmeric in TCM

In the literature on the role of turmeric in TCM, one often finds the explanation that turmeric is related to ginger and the Chinese name "Jiang Huang" translates as "yellow ginger". Turmeric and ginger both warm and invigorate; in contrast to ginger, turmeric invigorates the blood and has a blood-moving effect, thus counteracting stagnation. Turmeric is therefore used as a blood-regulating medicine to move the xue (blood) and release blockages.

Turmeric has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It is primarily used to support liver function and for pain in the stomach and chest. Both of these are only used if the problems are related to blood stagnation. There is debate as to whether turmeric also has a positive effect on the movement of the heart's blood.

In addition, according to TCM, turmeric drives out wind, cold and dampness that accumulates in the body during certain weather conditions by moving blood to the weakened areas.

intake

Curcumin is not water-soluble, which makes it particularly difficult for your body to absorb the active ingredient. However, bioavailability can be improved. So you should make sure that - if you take it in capsule form - it contains piperine! Just a pinch of black pepper, which contains piperine, increases the chances of the active ingredient curcumin being absorbed into our body.

In addition, curcumin is broken down very quickly by our liver, meaning it only enters our bloodstream for a short time. This means that we should consume turmeric continuously - ideally several times a day - in small amounts.

If you take turmeric with fat, this also has a positive effect on bioavailability. That's why the recipe for "Golden Milk", also known as turmeric latte, contains not only turmeric powder and enough milk, but also a teaspoon of ghee, coconut or almond oil. These fats help the active ingredient curcumin to get into our bloodstream more easily. When buying turmeric capsules, you should make sure that the ingredients consist of natural turmeric powder with a high dose of curcumin and piperine from black pepper.

Our favorite recipes with turmeric from Ayurveda and TCM

Curcuma Latte – "Golden Milk"

…for golden moments with you!

Since preparation only takes a maximum of 15 minutes, we would recommend making it yourself and not choosing an instant product. You usually have to add something to the ready-made products. The preparation itself is also a pleasure, as the scents spread wonderfully throughout the room.

The all-round feel-good drink is more than just a trend! Turmeric Latte is caffeine-free, very digestible and delicious. It is a healthy alternative to coffee or tea. Golden milk is a very traditional Indian drink made from purely natural, carefully selected ingredients.Distinctive aromas such as cinnamon or ginger make the drink a very special taste experience and a treat for body and soul. Stimulating in the morning, relaxing in the evening.

Ingredients:

• 3 teaspoons of turmeric powder
• 100 ml of water
• 1 piece of ginger the size of a thumb or ginger powder
• 1 pinch of cinnamon
• 1 pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 pinch of cardamom
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil or almond oil
• 1 pinch of grated nutmeg
• organic honey / maple syrup as desired
• Per portion approx. 350 ml plant milk e.g. almond milk or rice milk

Preparation:

Put the turmeric powder and water in a pan and heat. Stir a little so that the powder dissolves in the water. Peel the ginger, grate it and add it to the pan. Add the nutmeg to the pan and stir everything slowly.
Boil the ingredients together until a slightly creamy paste is formed. Heat the desired plant milk (some people just use water) and stir in 1 teaspoon of turmeric paste per portion. Add coconut oil and a pinch of cinnamon, black pepper and cardamom if necessary and stir briefly. Then season to taste with cinnamon and maple syrup or organic honey.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is a recipe that brings English and Indian cuisine together.

The preparation is very simple and even though turmeric comes from Indian and vegan cuisine, it tastes delicious with the chicken and the chicken is really juicy in the tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 piece of ginger (thumb-sized)
• 1 piece of turmeric (thumb-sized)
• 2 red chili peppers
• 4 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 3 tablespoons Garam Masala spice
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp cardamom
• 200 g yogurt
• 800 g chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 400 ml of water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 200 ml cream
• 250 g rice
• 1 bunch of coriander
• 1 lime

preparation

step 1) Peel the garlic, ginger and turmeric and grate finely and place in a bowl. Wash the chilli peppers, remove the seeds, cut into small cubes and add. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the mustard seeds with the remaining spices for about 30 seconds. Then add the grated garlic and chilli mixture and fry briefly. Remove the pan from the heat. Put half of the spice paste in a bowl and mix with the yoghurt. Wash the chicken breast, pat dry, cut into cubes and marinate in the yoghurt marinade for 30 minutes.

step 2) Melt butter in a pan. Peel and dice the onion and fry in butter. Add the remaining spice paste, tomato paste and water. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in cream. Cook the rice.

step 3) Heat the oil in a second pan and fry the chicken in it. Add it to the sauce and remove from the heat. Wash the coriander, chop it finely and add it to the sauce. Squeeze the lime and add the juice. We usually eat our Chicken Tikka Masala with rice.

Turmeric Lassi (TCM)

Ingredients:

• 1 natural yogurt
• ½ lemon, the juice
• 1 banana
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 2 teaspoons turmeric, fresh, grated or 1 teaspoon dried as powder
• honey as desired
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil

Puree all ingredients in a blender.

Eggplant with Turmeric

Ingredients:

• ghee
• 1 garlic clove pressed
• 2 cm fresh ginger peeled
• ½ red onion
• 2 tomatoes, washed and diced
• 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric powder
• cumin and chili as desired
• 1 potato, peeled and finely diced
• 2 medium eggplants, roughly diced
• Salt

Heat the ghee in a pan and gently fry the garlic, then the ginger and finally the onion, all more or less finely chopped.
When the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes. After a few minutes, add the cumin, turmeric, potatoes and eggplant to the pot and pour in water. Add salt and simmer for about 25 minutes until the sauce becomes creamy.

Legal consumer information:

German and European law aims to protect consumers from allegedly misleading claims about effectiveness. The statements made here refer to the original Ayurvedic and TCM texts. This knowledge, which has been passed down for thousands of years, is based on experience passed down from generation to generation. It is not intended to claim that the products described here have an effect in the sense of Western medicine. All products are food supplements; they are not medications and have no medical effect. If you are ill and require medical care, please contact your doctor or pharmacist.