Black Turmeric

Have you ever heard of black turmeric (Curcuma caesia)? It’s a lot like regular turmeric (Curcuma longa), except the rhizome is a kind of blueish black colour instead of the bright yellow-orange we’re used to. Its use tends to be more medicinal than culinary as it is more bitter than common turmeric.

Mine are more bluey green but I’ve seen photos of some that are super dark blue-purple!

All turmerics contain the compound curcumin which has anti inflammatory, anti oxidant and relaxant properties and black turmeric is said to have the highest curcumin content of any. Interestingly, our bodies don’t absorb curcumin well on its own. Curcumin dissolves readily in fatty substances though (olive oil, avocado and dairy) so a good curry or turmeric latte (if that’s your thing) is a great way to get the benefits. Black pepper is also said to improve absorption.

Black turmeric is native to north eastern and central India where it is known as Kali Haldi or Krishna Kedar. It thrives in warm and humid environments and likes to be kept well watered. Plants die back over winter (when you harvest them) and shoot again in spring. The broad leaves have a beautiful dark pink/purple stripe along the midrib and the flowers are tipped with dark pink (unlike regular turmeric which tends to be mostly white). The plant is extremely ornamental and the arrival of the leaves and flowers as the weather warms up makes it the perfect tropical substitute to temperate spring bulbs.

Sunflowers

Globe Artichokes