The more Indian the turmeric is, the more auspicious and full of medicinal qualities By * By social worker Vanita Kasani Punjab🌹 Ram Ram Ji * 🌹🙏🙏🌹 Turmeric milk Image Source, Vnita A few years ago when I first saw turmeric milk in a coffee shop in London, I could not believe it. In the menu, it was named 'Golden Milk'. Natural agave syrup was added to it for sweetness with almonds, a little cinnamon and black pepper. I stopped reading before that. Perhaps one of the reasons for this was that I had seen his expensive price. Secondly, I remembered the smile of thousands of grandmothers of India. For a while I was lost in childhood memories when my mother used to caress me for feeding hot turmeric. There was also scolding for refusing. advertising There were no nuts in that milk. Sugar was available just to make it sweet. In the last sip, turmeric was filled in the mouth. In Hindi, what is called turmeric milk, my mother used to call Palil Manjal in Tamil. Skip and read on. And also read Satyajit chaurasia Who makes Salman, Hrithik, Farhan's six pack abs? The Great Indian Kitchen The Great Indian Kitchen: an important film exposing the hypocrisy of Indian men A woman and two young women on the beach Death of husband, raising children and stories of failed love Aruna Tirkey These women, who make tribal food of Jharkhand a 'status symbol' Finish turmeric Image source, Spices or Potions? If there was a sore throat or body fever, the mother used to give turmeric milk immediately. Many Indians consider it a liquid panacea. Western countries discovered turmeric in the last decade itself and did not delay in making it a 'superfood'. They mixed fresh lumps of turmeric into tea and coffee. Started making her syrup and immediately prepared a thick drink of turmeric for the benefit. After London, I have seen turmeric drinks in cafes and coffee shops in all cities from San Francisco to Melbourne. Turmeric has been one of the major kitchen ingredients in India for a long time. It is used in two forms - in the form of lumps and now also in the form of turmeric powder. In my Masaldani, turmeric powder is always available along with mustard, cumin and chilli powder. My mother used to have similar spices and before that her mother had the same method. Turmeric-milk boom in London In traditional Indian kitchens, turmeric is used to add color to food, especially in making curries and broths. Turmeric pickles are also made from fresh and soft lumps of turmeric, on which a sprinkle of hot oil is applied. In some communities, turmeric leaves are enveloped and food is cooked in it. Mariam Reshi, author of 'The Flavor of Spice' says, "I grow turmeric in my house in Goa to make the famous patolio dessert here." To make the patolio, mix the jaggery in the coarse rice and place it between two leaves of turmeric. After this, it is cooked with steam and it smells of turmeric in it. Turmeric milk Image source, How important is turmeric? Is turmeric as important in traditional Indian cuisine as it is in traditional food? To know this, I spoke to Chef Thomas Zakaria, executive of Mumbai's famous The Bombay Canteen Restaurant. Zakaria uses only fresh and local ingredients in his restaurant. He calls turmeric "background material with low flavors". "I think most people in India use it because of their habit, not to increase the taste of food." Whenever Zakaria gets an opportunity, he uses fresh turmeric as a star material, such as Kerala curry to make Meen Moily. Turmeric and ginger belong to the same family. It is cultivated in many states of India. According to the Financial Express, more than 75 percent of the total turmeric production around the world is in India. India is the world's largest exporter of turmeric and its consumption is also highest here. High quality turmeric is produced on a large scale in the hot and humid weather states of South India - Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It is planted between May and August and by January, the crop starts to be ready. Turmeric crop Image source, Omen It is no wonder that turmeric root and leaves are used in Pongal, a celebration of the new crop in Tamil Nadu in mid-January. Fresh leaves of turmeric and its root are tied on the mouth of the pot of boiling milk. It is considered a symbol of wealth. Turmeric in India is more than a kitchen spice. It has a special place in Indian culture. In many Hindu communities, turmeric is used as a symbol of fertility and prosperity on auspicious occasions like marriage. For example, there is a turmeric ceremony before the wedding in which the elders of the family apply turmeric to the bride and groom's face. The thread of the bride's mangalsutra is also immersed in turmeric solution. Even today, turmeric powder is applied in any corner of clothes worn on all auspicious occasions including marriage. Indian women add a pinch of turmeric to their domestic face packs. They believe that turmeric makes the skin clear and shiny. turmeric Image Source, IMAGES Real indian spice Reshi says that most of India's spices brought investigative travelers and invaders, such as chilli brought from South America and cumin from the eastern Mediterranean region. But turmeric is completely Indian. "It is our spice. The way we have adopted it wholeheartedly and our belief in its medicinal properties is made up of thousands of years of intimacy." Ten years ago, I went to an Ayurvedic hospital in Kerala to treat a chronic pain. He treated me with turmeric paste, some massages and other medicines. Then a senior Vaidya told me that turmeric is considered to be irritant in Ayurveda. It gives relief in pain. Many Indians do home remedies with turmeric, such as a sprain in the ankle, apply turmeric paste, or if the winter is fugitive, smell the smoke of turmeric lump. It has been used for centuries in the traditional system of medicine of Ayurveda. Dr. Ayaz Mathai, founder of Saukya Holistic Health Center in Bengaluru, says that Ayurveda considers three types of energy in the human body - Vata, Pitta and Kapha. "Turmeric is the only medicine that cures all three types of doshas." It reduces irritation. Also it is believed that turmeric has anti-oxidant and anti-septic properties. Although scientific evidence of these medical properties has not been found yet. turmeric Image Source Vnita punjab Chemical Properties of Turmeric Turmeric gets its bright yellow color and its alleged medicinal properties from a chemical component. Its name is Curcumin. One theory says that curcumin increases the effect of frying in oil in Indian cooking. Nutritionist and author of 'The Everyday Vegetarian' says Nandita Iyer, "Curcumin is a fast-soluble compound. The addition of curcumin with fat increases the chances of it being absorbed into the body." If this is correct, then it is like dissolving honey in my ears. This means that I can refuse to drink turmeric milk without any guilt and can eat spicy turmeric pickles instead. For those who spend large sums of money to drink turmeric latte in expensive cafes, they should be warned that this is not all their merge medicine. It is good that they drink it as a hot drink instead of a panacea.