Turmeric: the spice, golden milk and curcumin supplements

Turmeric is a staple of curries and golden milk, and it's also one of the busiest shelves in our supplement aisle. This guide covers all three ways people buy it from us: as a spice, in a warm golden latte, and as a curcumin supplement, with the forms we stock and how to compare them. If you cook with turmeric, sip golden milk, or are standing in front of a row of curcumin bottles, it's for you.

What is turmeric?

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is the root of a leafy plant in the ginger family, native to Southeast Asia. Like ginger, the part we use is the rhizome: the knobbly underground stem. Fresh, it looks like a smaller, orange cousin of ginger. Dried and ground, it becomes the bright yellow turmeric powder you know from curry powders, rice dishes and golden milk.

That deep yellow colour comes from curcumin, the compound turmeric is known for. Curcumin is one of a small family of pigments called curcuminoids, and it's the active ingredient most supplements are built around. The root also carries essential oils, such as turmerone, which give it its earthy, peppery aroma.

Turmeric has a long history of traditional uses as a spice, a food colouring and a preservative, and it holds an important place in Ayurvedic tradition. In the kitchen, its flavour is warm, earthy and a little bitter, somewhere between ginger and black pepper. It's rarely the star of a dish on its own; it's the background warmth and colour that pulls other spices together.

Turmeric is a key ingredient in South Asian, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cooking, and fresh rhizomes turn up often in southern Thai dishes. Its yellow colour shows up in mustards and sauces, too. It has been part of Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, and in India it still has a place in wedding ceremonies.

Turmeric powder, fresh turmeric and bulk

Ground turmeric is the everyday form. A jar keeps its colour and aroma for a good while if you store it sealed, away from light and heat. Simply Organic Ground Turmeric Root contains a minimum of 4% curcumin and is certified organic and not irradiated. Organic Traditions Turmeric Powder is the pure certified organic powder in a 200 g pouch, with nothing added: handy if you cook with it often or make golden milk every day.

Fresh turmeric has a brighter flavour, with a bit of citrus that the dried powder loses. Keep the root in the fridge in a paper bag, or freeze it and grate it straight from frozen into curries, rice, soups and smoothies. It stains, so mind your cutting board and your fingers.

Our bulk station carries organic herbs and spices by weight, including ground turmeric when it's in, plus blends that lean on it. Buying from the bin lets you take home just a few spoonfuls to try, or refill your own jar. Turmeric shows up in most curry powders alongside cumin, coriander and fenugreek; garam masala skips it and leans on the sweet spices instead, so the two work well together in the same pot.

Organic ConnectionsBulk organic garam masalaCardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin and pepper, sold by weight.Shop →

Cooking with turmeric

1. Warm it in fat first. Curcumin is fat soluble, so stir ground turmeric into hot oil, butter or ghee for a minute before adding onions or liquid. It deepens the flavour and spreads the colour.
2. Add black pepper. A pinch of black pepper is the classic partner in turmeric dishes and golden milk. Its sharp heat balances turmeric's earthiness.
3. Start small. A quarter to half a teaspoon flavours a pot of rice or soup for four. Too much tastes bitter and dusty.
4. Pair it with other spices. Cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon and garlic all sit well with turmeric. Roasted cauliflower, lentil dal, scrambled eggs or tofu, and vinaigrettes are easy places to start.
5. Watch the stains. Turmeric colours wooden spoons, plastic containers and countertops. Wipe spills quickly and use glass or stainless steel for storage.

For more on choosing everyday spices, our guide to Ceylon and cassia cinnamon pairs well with this one.

Golden milk: key ingredients and how to make it

Golden milk, also called turmeric milk or a turmeric latte, is warm milk spiced with turmeric, usually with cinnamon, ginger and black pepper, and a little sweetness. It's caffeine-free, which makes it a favourite evening cup. Any milk works: dairy, or a plant-based milk like oat, almond, soy or coconut. Our plant-based milk guide compares them; creamy oat and coconut froth best.

1. Warm the milk. Heat one cup of milk in a small pot over medium-low heat until it steams. Don't let it boil.
2. Whisk in the spices. Add half a teaspoon of ground turmeric, a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of ground ginger (or a few slices of fresh ginger) and a pinch of black pepper.
3. Add a little fat. A teaspoon of coconut oil or a splash of full-fat coconut milk makes it silkier. If you're using whole milk, you can skip this step.
4. Sweeten to taste. A teaspoon of maple syrup or honey rounds out the spices. Simmer gently for a few minutes, up to ten if you want the flavours to blend more.
5. Strain and pour. Strain out any ginger slices, froth if you like, and dust with cinnamon.

That makes one cup. To make a batch, multiply the recipe, let it cool and keep it in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to five days; shake and reheat gently. If you're making it with a plant-based milk, maple syrup is the easy vegan sweetener.

When you're short on time, instant golden latte mixes and turmeric teas do the measuring for you. Organic Traditions Turmeric Latte is built on organic coconut milk powder and coconut palm sugar, with turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, vanilla and a little saffron, and it whisks into hot or cold water or milk. The Amoda Golden Turmeric blend is unsweetened, so you sweeten it yourself. DOMO Sweet Dreams is a caffeine-free rooibos latte with turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, chamomile and lemon balm. For a turmeric tea, Pukka Turmeric Active pairs turmeric with ginger and galangal.

Turmeric in the pot is about flavour and colour; turmeric in a capsule is about curcumin.

Turmeric and curcumin: what's the difference?

Turmeric is the whole root. Curcumin is one compound inside it, and not a large share: ground turmeric is usually only a few percent curcumin by weight. That's why curcumin supplements use concentrated extracts rather than plain spice, and why "turmeric" and "curcumin" on two labels can mean very different things.

Curcumin supplements: the forms we stock

Curcumin on its own is poorly absorbed: it doesn't dissolve well in water and breaks down quickly in the gut. So most curcumin supplementation today relies on a partner that helps it along. Here are the forms on our supplement aisle.

With black pepper (piperine). BioPerine is a black pepper extract, and it's the most common partner in turmeric formulas. Naka Curcumin Organic Turmeric Root pairs a 15:1 organic turmeric extract, standardised to 95% curcuminoids, with BioPerine in a veggie capsule. Naka Liposomal Curcumin combines a 95% extract and BioPerine in a softgel.

Liposomal. Liposomal formulas wrap curcumin in tiny bubbles of phospholipids, the same fatty material cell membranes are made of. CanPrev Curcumin 100 Liposomal is a liquid, handy if you'd rather not swallow capsules. CanPrev Curcumin-Pro is a capsule that pairs 400 mg of curcumin with phosphatidylcholine from lecithin and bromelain from pineapple stem.

Other absorption-focused forms. Natural Factors CurcuminRich Theracurmin is curcumin prepared to be highly bioavailable; the double-strength capsule holds 60 mg. AOR Curcumin Ultra combines CurQfen, curcumin bound to galactomannan fibre, with Turmacin, a turmeric extract rich in polysaccharides. AOR Curcumin Active uses Longvida, curcumin in tiny lipid-coated particles, at 133.3 mg per capsule. CanPrev Curcumin Unlocked uses TurmiPure, a water-dispersible turmeric extract standardised for all three curcuminoids.

Whole root. Some people prefer the whole turmeric root to an isolated extract. Naka Organic Whole Root Turmeric is 500 mg of non-irradiated organic root per veggie capsule. Living Alchemy Turmeric Alive is organic turmeric fermented with a 35-strain kefir-kombucha culture, with no black pepper added.

How to compare curcumin labels

1. Check what's measured. "Turmeric root 500 mg" and "curcumin 400 mg" are different things. Look for whether the label gives whole root, extract, or curcuminoids.
2. Look at the standardisation. "95% curcuminoids" or "15:1 extract" tells you how concentrated the extract is.
3. Find the partner. Black pepper extract, liposomes, phosphatidylcholine, fibre or lipid particles: each is a different approach to absorption, so compare like with like.
4. Compare the daily serving. Some products are one capsule a day, others two or three. Compare on the full daily amount, and follow the label directions.
5. Check the capsule. Softgels may use bovine gelatin; veggie capsules and liquids suit vegans. If you avoid soy, check for soy lecithin.

What turmeric is traditionally used for

Curcumin is an antioxidant, and that's a big part of why turmeric supplements exist. Turmeric also has a long history in herbal medicine, where it's traditionally used to aid digestion and to support joint comfort. Those are the everyday uses you'll see on most of the turmeric supplements on our shelves.

Curcumin is one of the most widely studied plant compounds, and interest in it keeps growing. As a spice, turmeric is simply a good, everyday way to add warmth and colour to food.

Questions we get a lot

Are turmeric and curcumin the same thing?

No. Turmeric is the whole root; curcumin is the yellow compound turmeric is known for. Ground turmeric is only a few percent curcumin, which is why supplements use concentrated extracts.

What does turmeric powder do for your body?

In food, it adds flavour, colour and a little curcumin. Turmeric is traditionally used in herbal medicine to aid digestion, and curcumin provides antioxidants. For a set amount of curcumin, a supplement is the more reliable route.

Is it safe to take turmeric powder every day?

As a spice, yes: it's an everyday ingredient in kitchens around the world. Cook with it as often as you like.

Is it okay to take curcumin every day?

Curcumin supplements are made to be taken daily. Follow the directions on the label and pick a form you'll keep taking.

What is the downside of curcumin?

On its own, it's poorly absorbed, which is why most formulas pair it with black pepper, lipids or fibre. Many people take it with a meal, if the label allows. And it stains.

What does drinking golden milk do?

It gives you a warm, caffeine-free, gently spiced cup that many people enjoy in the evening. The turmeric adds colour, flavour and a little curcumin.

How do you make golden milk?

Warm a cup of milk, whisk in half a teaspoon of turmeric, a little cinnamon and ginger, a pinch of black pepper and a teaspoon of maple syrup, then simmer for two or three minutes.

What about warm turmeric water in the morning?

It's a simple, caffeine-free way to start the day if you like the taste. Add a pinch of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon, or try a turmeric tea. Our ginger shots guide has a ginger turmeric shot, too.

Who should not take turmeric?

Each curcumin supplement has its own directions and cautions on the label, so give them a read before you buy. Bring the bottle to either store and we'll go through the label with you.

Turmeric supplements are in the supplement aisle, and spices, latte mixes and teas are in the grocery and bulk sections at both stores: 486 Starboard Drive in Bedford and 590 Portland Street in Dartmouth, open seven days. In HRM, order by 11 am with Luminate Express for same-day delivery, or choose pickup. Anywhere else in Canada, orders over $80 ship free.

Sources: National Institutes of Health (NCCIH), Turmeric; Linus Pauling Institute, Curcumin; Wikipedia, Turmeric; Frontier Co-op, About Us; AOR, About; Naka, About Us; product labels. This article is general information, not medical advice.