Hello and welcome to the Nutrition Diva Podcast, I'm your host Monica Reinagal.

Turmeric is all the rage these days for its purported health benefits.

And most of us are familiar with turmeric as a brilliant orange powder used in Indian and

Southeast Asian cooking. It's one of the primary ingredients in curry powder. And now lately golden milk, a sort of spicy

turmeric tea is trending in everyone's Instagram feed. From a culinary perspective,

turmeric adds a spicy warmth and a vivid hue to food.

On the health front, its big claim to fame is the anti-inflammatory properties.

It's even being studied as a natural hedge against

Alzheimer's disease. Ground turmeric has long been a staple in my spice cabinet,

but a few weeks ago I came across some fresh turmeric in the produce section of my regular grocery store.

It looks a little bit like ginger root or if you're in a more ghoulish frame of mind a little bit like

large insect larvae although it took me a little while and some orange

stained fingers to figure out what to do with it, I am now a hardcore fan.

The flavor of fresh turmeric is much different than the powdered

turmeric you may be used to. Both have a warm, pungent flavor that's unlike any

other spice I can think of, but the fresh root is brighter, more aromatic,

and a bit less bitter than the powdered form.

If you've ever had anything made with curry powder, then you've had turmeric, but it can be hard to separate the flavor of the

turmeric from all those other strong flavors in curry.

If curry is the only place you've ever encountered

turmeric, it's really fun to experience the spice on its own and

experiment with other combinations. Because it's got such a strong flavor,

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