What Does Turmeric Taste Like?

You might already know that turmeric is a powerful spice with many health benefits. You might have even heard it is the secret ingredient in most Indian curries. But what exactly does turmeric taste like?

Is it something you could see yourself adding to your meals regularly, or will it be something you won’t want to consume again soon? Red ginger and yellow mustard are two excellent substitutes for turmeric. Both these spices have similar properties without tasting as pungent as turmeric does.

The flavor of all these spices is very earthy and must be used with caution. It is not uncommon for people to begin avoiding them because of their strong taste. However, once you get past the initial shock of their flavor, you will enjoy their properties even more.

How Does Turmeric Taste?

The first thing to understand about the taste of turmeric is that it is very earthy. It is more earthy than almost any other spice that we eat. For this reason, you will have to be careful when adding it to dishes that might already have a strong and overpowering flavor.

The best advice that can be given here is to use it sparingly. You will want to use the smallest amount to get the job done. In terms of its taste, turmeric is almost like a mix between mustard and ginger.

It is intense and robust while also having a sweetness to it. This is due to curcumin, the compound that gives turmeric health benefits. Many people describe turmeric as tasting like dirt. While this isn’t the most appetizing description, it gives you a clear idea of what it tastes like.

What Does Turmeric Look Like?

Turmeric is typically a deep yellow. It's a member of the ginger family and looks like ginger. It's derived from curcumin.

Even though curcumin is responsible for turmeric’s color, it doesn’t have the same impact on our taste buds as on our eyes. Therefore, turmeric doesn’t make our food look yellow, as you might expect. Instead, it makes it bright orange. This makes it very easy to see if your recipe contains turmeric, even if you use a small amount.

Turmeric is a prevalent ingredient in Indian cuisine. For this reason, it can sometimes be hard to know if a dish contains turmeric. However, if it is cooked with many turmerics, it will be orange.

You can also use turmeric as a dye. Many people use it to dye clothing. It is also a common ingredient in natural dye recipes. If you are interested in using turmeric for this purpose, you will want to be careful about how much you use. Too much turmeric in a dye recipe can produce a potent smell.

The Good News About Turmeric Taste

The good news about the turmeric taste is that it goes very well with other intense flavors. It is a common ingredient in Indian dishes with a lot of cumin and coriander.

If you are worried about overpowering other ingredients in your meal, try pairing it with something that has a strong flavor. Garlic, shallots, and onions are all excellent flavor partners for turmeric.

You can also combine it with other spices to tone down its flavor. As with many strong-tasting spices, turmeric goes very well with dairy products. Mix it with yogurt, milk, or cheese to balance its flavor. You can also use turmeric to make an excellent turmeric tea. Many people swear by the health benefits of turmeric tea.

How to Make Turmeric Taste Better?

You can try to make turmeric taste better in a few different ways. As we mentioned above, intense flavors go well with turmeric. Choosing your other ingredients carefully can help you to get past the initial shock of the turmeric taste.

One way to make turmeric taste better is to add it to food that is already prepared. For example, adding turmeric to fresh vegetables will likely make them taste very bitter. Many people who don’t like the taste of turmeric avoid eating fresh vegetables.

However, adding turmeric to cooked vegetables can help to make them less bitter.

3 Indian Dishes That Feature Turmeric

Many Indian dishes feature turmeric. Some of the most common include:

Biryani

Biryani is a rice and vegetable dish that is very popular in India. Many people consider it to be the national dish of India. It is often flavored with turmeric and is usually served with a side of yogurt.

Curry

Curry is an ubiquitous Indian dish. There are many different styles of curry and many different ingredients that go into each one. However, most curries include turmeric.

Tikka Masala

Tikka masala is one of the most common Indian dishes in the West. It is widely available at Indian restaurants and is often served with rice or naan.

What Does Turmeric Smell Like?

The turmeric smell is one of its most controversial traits. Many people enjoy the smell of turmeric and find it pleasant and inviting. However, others find it to be overpowering and even repulsive.

Certain conditions are likely to make the turmeric smell more intense. The best way to reduce the smell of turmeric in your home is to be careful when cooking with it. Start with a small amount and gradually add more as you go.

Turmeric can also be used as a natural dye. It is a prevalent ingredient in natural dye recipes. As mentioned above, using turmeric to dye clothing can also make your home smell strongly of turmeric.

You Can Enjoy Turmeric Benefits With TRIIBE Organics' Turmeric Supplements.

Turmeric is a wonderful spice with many benefits for your health and well-being. However, the taste of turmeric can be very overpowering and difficult to enjoy for those new to it. If you want to enjoy turmeric's benefits without compromising its taste, you can try including turmeric supplements in your diet.

You can find turmeric supplements here at TRIIBE Organics. Turmeric supplements come in many different forms. You can find them ground up into a powder, in capsules, or even as a liquid. No matter which form you choose, you can be sure that the turmeric in your supplements will have less flavor than the turmeric found in recipes.

Conclusion

Turmeric is a wonderful spice used in cooking and herbal remedies. It is a potent anti-inflammatory agent that can help with many ailments. However, turmeric can be very bitter to the taste.