Turmeric
Turmeric will help to reveal talent and find a true vocation for people with unrealized creative potential.
The plant is useful for those who intuitively feel that they are engaged in life not their own business, not their work. It is also worthwhile to get people who are constantly living in a state of vague anxiety. Perhaps they are left-handers, who in childhood were forced to hold a spoon and a pen in their right hand, or "zatyukannye" boys who perceived the music school as punishment and secretly dreamed of a circle of aeromodelling. In short, people with unspent and unrealized potential. Turmeric will help to abandon stereotypes, remember the childhood dream and fully realize oneself in the present.
Remember, maybe sometime when you dreamed of painting dishes. .. By and large, nothing prevents now to realize your dream. But if you also get turmeric, your painted cups will be appreciated not only by their relatives. For masterpieces all art salons will "hunt".
Here is a small list of plants that have antiviral and antibacterial activity: myrtle, ivy, aukuba, aloe, calanchoe, sansevieria, citrus, hippeastrum.
Features of care
Turmeric is undemanding for lighting, feels good in brightly scattered light, but can withstand significant shading. In winter, turmeric enters a state of rest, can completely or partially discard the leaves. It is desirable to rearrange the pot with the tuber in a cool place. Water the plant sparingly, do not allow water to stagnate in the pan. Sprays are very useful. The transplant is carried out once every two to three years. During the transplant, it is desirable to divide the plant, since turmeric grows quite rapidly. The substrate is made up of turf and leaf land, humus and sand( 4: 2: 2: 1).Be sure to make a drain at 1/3 of the height of the pot.
Yes, turmeric and ginger are close relatives. Those who know about the amazing healing properties of ginger, now look with respect and at this simple, at first glance, spice. It also contains an amazing set of nutrients.
Externally turmeric is brighter than ginger itself, very similar to a cane with a stem up to one meter high. Just like ginger - turmeric has a thick tuberous root of dark yellow color, whose diameter reaches 4 cm, from which the elongated roots with tuberous thickenings leave. It is these side tubers that are valued above all for their amazing properties.
Large juicy turmeric leaves are oval in shape and grow from the very base of the stem; in some plant varieties they look a bit corrugated. Sturdy stalk-tsvetonos ends with a long( up to 15-25 cm) inflorescence.
Turmeric flowers decorating its stem for several weeks and even months, come in a variety of shades. Blooms turmeric is so beautiful that it is even grown at home as a house plant. At the same time choose turmeric with bright yellow, white, pink, lilac, pale purple flowers.
In the stem and rhizome of turmeric there are essential oils and a natural yellow dye - curcumin.
Fruits this plant forms very rarely.
In nature turmeric grows in countries with tropical climate and best of all this plant feels at an altitude of about two thousand meters above sea level.
The homeland of turmeric is South Asia, to be more precise - Southeast India and Indochina, an area with a warm climate and frequent rains.
Now this plant is widely grown in India( most of all - in the states of Tamil Nalu, Maharashtra, West Bengal), Indonesia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Peru, the West Indies, African countries and Australia, as well as the Philippine Islands, Haiti, Sri Lanka and the island of Java.
Species
The genus Curcuma( Curcuma L.) of the Ginger family includes about 60 plant species. They all grow in the tropical regions of Asia and are found all the way to Northern Australia.
Turmeric, home, long, or turmeric( Curcuma damastica, Curcuma longa) is the most common species of this plant, grown with a culinary or curative purpose. The birthplace of turmeric is long - India and Vietnam. Turmeric of this species is most often used for the preparation of the same spice.
In ancient times, this plant spread widely throughout tropical Asia. During the existence of the Soviet Union, successful experiments were conducted on the cultivation of turmeric at the Zonal Experimental Station of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Medicinal Plants( VILAR) located in Adjara.
Botanical name of this plant is Curcuma Domestica, English version - tnurmeric, German - gelbwurz, French and Italian - curcuma, in Hindi its name sounds like haldi.
According to researchers, this plant received its English name from the Latin word terra merita, which translates as "the dignity of the land."That's how it was called in the countries of Western Europe in the XVI-XVII centuries. From the middle of the XVIII century. The more common name was "turmeric."
In Asian countries, most often you can find the ancient name of this spice - zargava, in Sanskrit it is called haridra.
Habitual for our hearing the name "turmeric" the plant received from the Arabic word kurkum, which translates as "saffron".
Also very popular is turmeric flavored( Curcuma aromatica Salisb., Wild turmeric), often mistakenly called "Indian saffron".It is this variety, whose name in Sanskrit sounds like "vana haridra", is highly valued among confectioners.
Plants of this species also come from India, but for many years they have been successfully grown in a variety of countries with tropical climates.
Curcuma round( Curcuma leucorrhizae) is more often used to produce turmeric starch.
Curcuma tsedoariya, or citvarnaya( Curcuma zedoaria Rose., Citvar root) - a perfect spice for the aromatization of liquors, while its rhizome is not used in the powder, but cut into pieces. The root of this plant usually resembles its form in a tiny( no more than a walnut) coward. To the peculiarities of this variety, turmeric is a characteristic aroma with a touch of camphor and a bitter-burning taste.
In nature, this plant is found in the territory from Indonesia to the Himalayan mountains. The curative properties of this type of turmeric are especially appreciated in China, where it is used as a unique remedy for female ailments.
The Java yellow root, Curcuma Javanese( Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb.) Is widespread in Java and the Malay Peninsula. Its chemical composition is very close to the composition of turmeric, but some differences make it more suitable not for obtaining spice, but for use as a healing agent. From this plant, drugs are prepared to treat various liver diseases and get rid of abdominal pain.
For decorative floriculture, Thai plant Pattuma( Siamese tulip, Curcuma alismatifolia), which was named because of its similarity with tulip flowers, and Curcuma aurantiaca( orange flowers) are most often used - the flowers of these plants are extraordinarily beautiful.
Spice
Spicy turkey roots are used as a spice, while longer side parts are valued more than a large central tuber.
Preparing spices from turmeric is not an easy process.
For billet use the roots of a 9-10-month-old plant, after it has a flowering period and the leaves will turn yellow.
The tubers excavated from the ground are thoroughly washed and boiled in boiling water( or simply scalded).This helps to speed up the process of "ripening" spices - because at the time of scalding, the essential oil-bearing cells of the plant containing the coloring material are destroyed, and curcumin gradually saturates the whole root.
Rhizomes for 5-7 days are dried in the sun. During this time, the mass of turmeric root decreases by about three quarters. It is during drying that curcumin penetrates into the inner layers of the rhizome.
Formed from the starch contained in the plant, "paste" impregnates the entire root and, solidifying, makes it hard and strong, like a stone.
After drying comes the sorting time - the highest quality peeled tubers are called "fingers", the less qualitative ones are "chips" and "pellets".
These dense solid tubers of characteristic bright yellow or orange color in India are often sold as souvenirs( it will be difficult to cook them from homemade chopped spices).But to get spicy with a delicate aroma, you need to grind them into the smallest powder.
From turmeric spice is obtained - powder and essential oil. Both products have their own useful properties.
Essential oil
From the dried roots of turmeric, by distillation with steam, the aromatic oil is obtained. Depending on the plant variety and the storage time of dry rhizomes, the resulting oil will be from 1 to 5.5% of the feedstock.
Every year, in countries where turmeric is grown, as well as in those where it is exported, they receive up to several tons of essential oil per year.
Transparent or yellow?
Very often there is a dispute, what color is the real turmeric oil?
In fact, it can be both transparent and yellow. The fact is that for the production of an aromatic oil, use home turmeric( Curcuma longa L.), as well as wild turmeric( Curcuma aromatica Salisb.).
When distilling Curcuma longa into the turmeric essential oil, the curcumin pigment gets into it, so the resulting product usually has a yellowish orange color. The smell of home turmeric oil is fresh, woody-spicy, and the taste is bitterish. The aroma and color of this oil repeats the aroma and color of the spice.
Curcuma oil Curcuma zedoaria is a practically transparent, colorless liquid, with the aroma of myrtle and camphor.
But both oils will be natural, and both have a number of useful properties, although the composition of the oils is different, for example, the second type oil does not contain curcumin.
Chemical composition of turmeric
But we are not interested in the culinary virtues of turmeric, how many curative. Let's see what an amazing composition this spice possesses.
Turmeric consists of the following substances:
The α-Fellandren, Sabinen, Borneol, Zingergeon and β-Curcumin are also present in the rhizome of this plant.
It is the terpenes and zwingiberenes( the same as the nearest relative of turmeric turmeric) in combination with several exotic substances( turmeric, dimethylbenzyl alcohol, methyl acetylcyclohexene) and give this spice a characteristic delicate aroma.
Let's see what is hidden behind some of these components.
Curcumin is the main curcimonoid( dye), which is part of the rootstock of turmeric - it gives the root of the plant a rich yellow color.
From the chemical point of view, this substance belongs to polyphenols.
Curcumin is poorly soluble in water, but well - in alcohol, ether and fats.
Due to this, it is widely used in the food industry for tinting a wide variety of products. It is very good to use turmeric for coloring fatty foods.
In medicine, curcumin is valued for its anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimutagenic, antioxidant and anti-amyloid( ability to reduce the formation of amyloid bodies, particularly in the brain in Alzheimer's disease) properties.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have also discovered the ability of curcumin molecules to penetrate the cell membranes and increase their resistance to a wide variety of infections. It turned out that the molecules of this polyphenol, located on the outer and inner sides of the membrane of each cell, are connected to each other while strengthening the membrane.
History of spice
People have met turmeric for more than two and a half thousand years ago, although according to some sources, in the Vedic culture of India this plant was known for more than four thousand years.
In those distant times, this spice was used only in her homeland in India and Indochina. But already at the end of the first century AD.e.this spice got to Greece( where it got its name "yellow ginger"), and four centuries later - to China.
Discovering turmeric in southern China, the great traveler Marco Polo said of her: "Here, too, grows a vegetable that has all the properties of this saffron, such as smell and color, and yet it is not real saffron."It was he who named turmeric terra merita - "the dignity of the earth".
In India, this plant was considered a symbol of fertility, used in various religious rituals and revered as a shrine. At the wedding, the groom tied the neck of his future wife with a special sacred thread, which
previously lubricated with a paste of turmeric powder. Nowadays, brides in the countries of Southeast Asia before the divine marriage ceremony are applied to the face powder made from turmeric powder.
According to the ancient Malaysian custom, turmeric gruel should be applied to the abdomen of a woman giving birth, the same device was used to process the cut cord. A wonderful plant was not only considered an excellent protection against evil spirits, but, being a natural antiseptic, significantly reduced the risk of infection of the mother and newborn,
In ancient times, turmeric was produced in huge quantities - this plant is rather unpretentious, quickly forms large tubers, from which you can get a large amount of powder. Once, turmeric was widely used not only as a spice, but also as a dye for the fabric - yakro-yellow garments of Buddhist monks were painted with turmeric. It was used much more often by saffron( another coloring spice), which is difficult to prepare in sufficient quantity. The mention of such use of turmeric is found in the ancient Assyrian recipe, compiled in the first century BC.e.
In the European countries turmeric appeared thanks to the Arab merchants, who imported spices of the East into the Western countries, and for a long time was less popular than carnations and vanilla, but quickly won the love of the English - they have long used it to aromatize their national cuisine.
In the Middle Ages, turmeric was much more often used as a dye - with its help, yellow color was given to products made of wood, fabric, leather for gloves, and even metals. Used this spice and for the preparation of cosmetics, as well as in perfumery.
Aroma of the East -Kari
Undoubtedly, one of the most important uses of turmeric in cooking is its inclusion in curry. It is thanks to this spice that seasonings and dishes acquire a unique taste and aroma, as well as a rich yellow color.
However, Indian curry did not always exist in the form that is familiar to us now. After all, very few people know that in India there is a Curry Tree, whose name in Tamil sounds like kariveppilai. Thin leaves of this tree, belonging to the family of rut, painted in a dark green color, freshly used for a long time in Indian cooking.
Most often this seasoning was used for flavoring and giving a delicate taste to vegetarian dishes made from vegetables and beans. The subtle aroma of this spice resembles the smell of anise and citrus. Partial analogue of curry leaves in European cuisine is the laurel leaf.
Usually fresh leaves of a tree of a curry were fried in vegetable oil, with addition of other spices, and this butter seasoned ready dishes, removing leaves before serving.
Dried curry almost completely lose its unique aroma, and adding them to dishes during cooking is a tribute to tradition.
What is the relationship between Indian curry and a bright yellow blend of fragrant spices?
In the cooking of India, the Tamil word kari is used to refer to thick soups, sauces, seasoned vegetable stews. Taking some of the traditions of Indian cuisine, the British spread the name of the "curry" dishes to the mixture of spices used for their preparation. So the name "curry powder" became international.
The attitude towards spices in the countries of the East differs from that which is more prevalent in European countries. In the eastern kitchen, spice is not only an aromatic and flavoring additive to food, it is also a powerful means of treating and preventing various diseases, and a hot climate makes you appreciate spices as substances that help preserve freshness of foods. That is why in Indian cooking there are quite strict rules governing the composition of spicy mixtures.
The first part of each mixture is the basic spice that forms its basis throughout the country.
The second part is spices that are common in this region of the country, or even traditionally used in a separate family.
The third part of the mixture is the classic spices used to enhance the flavor.
Curcuma itself, which has a unique flavor, has not the most vivid taste, which is well complemented by the spice ingredients that make up the seasoning.
As a rule, the taste of curry is mild, but there are recipes for sharper mixtures. The flavor of this seasoning can not be confused with anything.
In the culinary tradition of India, it is customary to make this spicy mixture just before cooking, dosing all the ingredients "to taste."In other countries ready-made curry mixtures are sold, sold in packs in the form of powder.
The composition of this seasoning from different manufacturers can vary quite a lot.
So, in all curry mixtures without exception there are turmeric and coriander.
Most of the mixtures also can not do without red pepper, cardamom, cumin( Roman cumin).
Often in the curry include herring pepper, fenugreek( shamballa), cloves, cinnamon, mustard.
Some recipes of mixtures contain ginger, ginger, sweet pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, fennel, nutmeg, azhgon, aspetida powder, mango powder and salt.
Curcuma( haldi) Curcuma domestica Valet, gives the curry a bright yellow color and brings a gentle note to the bouquet of the flavors of this mixture.
Cumin( jeera) Cuminum cyminum L. and coriander( dhaniya) Coriandrum sativum L., which have a soft, fresh, cool taste, have a beneficial effect on digestion.
Seeds of gorny gorgitsa( rai) Sinapis nigra and hot chilli peppers( chili) Capsicum L., not only add a burning taste to a mixture of spices, but also extend the shelf life of products.
Cardamom( eliachi) Elettaria cardamomum White et Mason, cinnamon( dalchini) Cinnamomumzeylanicum Blume, carnation( laung) Syzyium aromaticum [L.], nutmeg( jaiphal) Myristica fragrans Houtt, pepper( mirch) Piper nigrum L., ginger( saunth) Zingiber officinale - all these classic spices are usually used to give different shades to the aroma and taste of a mixture of spices.
Storage
When purchasing spices, give preference to hermetically sealed containers - bags or jars. To preserve their taste, aromatic and healing properties, turmeric should be completely isolated from contact with the environment. Therefore, no matter how attractive the spices of spices from market traders looked, it is best to refrain from buying turmeric stored in open containers.
To store this spice, use a tightly closed container - preferably a jar of dark glass. If you spilled turmeric powder in a transparent dish, then take care that it was reliably hidden from sunlight - this will help to preserve the unique taste and rich color of the spice for a long time.
As a rule, for home use get ready powder from turmeric tubers, but you can buy a rhizome - its pieces are used in the preparation of canned food and marinades.
Turmeric in your home and in the garden
Numerous scented and piquant representatives of the ginger family, people who have long been made up of legends about the benefits, beauty and magical properties of legends have been growing at home - in rooms or in the garden.
After all, turmeric is not only a plant from whose roots an aromatic seasoning is made, it is also elegant flowers on high stems that can decorate any room.
Turmeric is often called the "lotus of Hindustan", and it is no accident - its inflorescences resemble lotus flowers.
In the room conditions, the leaves and stems of turmeric usually reach a height of 50-60 cm.
For turkeys, a long( most suitable for spice form) curcuma, turmeric, turmeric, turmeric orange, very beautiful patumma( Siamese tulip)and some other species of this plant.
There are also specially produced turkey varieties for indoor breeding, for example, Curcuma alismatifolia compact, in which a large rhizome combines with a fairly low stem( not more than 25 cm).
Flowers on a plant that has good care can last up to three months. Usually turmeric blooms in the period from July to October.
The more the age of your flower, the more stems it will appear simultaneously - in adult plants receiving good care, it is possible to simultaneously bloom 5-7 flowers. Bouquets of cut flowers can stand in water for up to three weeks.
Care
Turmeric is a light-loving plant, but direct sunlight can damage it - it is more suitable bright, but diffuse light. This plant feels well on the windows facing south-west and south-east.
If the lighting is not enough, you will notice very quickly - turmeric will grow slower, the number of flowers will decrease, normal pigmentation of the leaves will be disturbed. But be careful of your flower on hot days - you may have to shade it.
This plant is a guest from warm countries, therefore it needs constant maintenance of a certain temperature of the ambient air - not lower than 18 ° С.Best in the warm season, turmeric feels at a temperature of + 25-30 ° C.At high temperatures, the bloom of turmeric begins earlier. If the column of the thermometer creeps down, the plant will blossom 1-1.5 months later, and will not please you with an abundance of flowers.
The amount and brightness of turmeric flowers directly depends also on the size of its rhizomes.
During the whole period of growth and flowering it is necessary to provide abundant watering of turmeric. Water the plant should be when sprinkling the earth with warm water, which is preliminarily defended within 24 hours.
In nature, turmeric grows in countries with a humid climate, so it is best to feel it with regular spraying. Of course, the water for spraying should also be warm. In this case, pay attention to the fact that the water is only on the leaves( not on the inflorescence!).
You can create conditions for additional moisturizing of turmeric. To do this, fill the pile with expanded clay, pour some water into it and put a pot of plant on the stones. However, make sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the pot.
In fertilizers turmeric needs throughout the period of its growth. You can use the usual preparations for flowering plants( mineral and organic fertilizers) - feed your flower once every 12-14 days. Additional nutrition to your plant you can provide by preparing a fertilizer solution in half concentration and sprinkling the leaves.
When the plant fades, it has a rest period( this plant is clearly expressed) - most likely, it will discard the leaves and "sleep".Most often this occurs in early November. However, at this time, care for turmeric should be particularly careful.
After the extinction of the aerial part of the plant( usually this occurs at the end of autumn), place the rhizome in a room with an ambient temperature of about +7 ° C.
Throughout the rest period, carefully monitor the soil in the pot with turmeric - it should not be too dry, however, and waterlogging should be avoided so as not to cause rotting roots.
You can carefully remove the rhizome from the ground, fill it with dry sand( or leave it in a pot) and place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator.
If your plant belongs to a variety that preserves leaves for the entire period of rest, then keep it in a room with an ambient temperature of 16-18 ° C, and do not forget about timely watering. During this period, frequent spraying of turmeric is not needed.
Reproduction of
For the propagation of turmeric, its rhizome( rhizome) is divided into parts. Using an acutely sharpened knife, divide the rhizome into several parts. Place slices of coal cut into powder. Pay attention to the fact that each piece of rhizome had its kidney and a pair of lateral roots.
The rhizome should be transplanted in early spring( late March-early April) by preparing a pot of fresh soil. The size of the new pot can be the same as the old one.
Gently clean the turmeric root of sand or earth and carefully inspect.
Mix an equal amount of humus, cereal, foliage and peat land, add pure river sand and fill the resulting mixture with a pot.
You can grow turmeric and outdoors in the garden, and indoor plants in the warm season to take out on the street or on the balcony.