THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Turmeric

Lisa Karen Miller

“There is a vegetable which has all the properties of true saffron, as well as the smell and color, and yet it is not really saffron.”  Marco Polo

          If you’ve ever tried to return your plastic ware to its original pristine clarity after storing Indian leftovers, you already know the coloring powers of turmeric.  It has been used to dye textiles for centuries.

          The robes of Buddhist monks are dyed with turmeric, instead of the more costly saffron, though their color is still called saffron. If you want to use it as a dye at home, dissolve some of the powdered spice (the more the darker) into a pot of boiling water, stir, and cool.  Then place a piece of cloth in it. Prolonged steeping makes a richer color.

The use of turmeric goes back 4,000 years to the Vedic culture in India, where it had culinary, medicinal, and religious significance. It is sacred to Hindus, and a turmeric-dyed string is worn by brides to signify their readiness to marry and manage a household.

           In India, a paste of ground turmeric root and lentils is used to wash the face and body, ridding the skin of bacteria, cleansing it, and curing various skin conditions.  An added bonus is that it doesn’t have the drying effect of soap. Skin thus washed takes on a radiant golden glow.

          A cosmetic paste used by the Malays and Indians was believed to cure demonic possession. Kurdish Jews used it in circumcision rituals to protect the infant from Lilith, the queen of the demons.

          Curcuma longa belongs to the ginger family, and is native to India and South America. Its powdered rhizomes lend curry powders their brilliant yellow color, as well as a warm, peppery, slightly bitter, and fruity taste.

          It is vital to East Indian, Persian, and Thai cooking. The fresh rhizome can be stir fried, or cut into pieces and pickled. Whole fresh leaves can be wrapped around fish or vegetables before cooking to impart a unique flavor. It is turmeric that gives prepared mustard its bright yellow color.

          Medicinally, it was also used for digestive and liver ailments. It lowers cholesterol and is a powerful antioxidant. Researchers have proven that Indian turmeric users have far lower rates of Alzheimer’s. A safe anti-inflammatory, it is useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Over a thousand scientific papers have been published on how its many compounds – curcumin among them – can benefit our health.

          Hippocrates’ dictum is proved yet again: “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

© Copyright 2023 Lisa Karen Miller