Turmeric, otherwise famous as the golden spice, true to its name has a rich, and golden history that dates back to approximately 5000 years. Though known to have originated from South East Asia. This golden spice has a rather massive fan base across the globe for its nutritional and health-aiding benefits. It is a key kitchen ingredient in Asian cuisine, especially Indian cuisine. The golden hue of Indian delicacies such as curries. The slightly bitter taste and earthy aroma can be attributed to the usage of turmeric, either in its whole or ground form.
Lakadong Turmeric – a Turmeric with High Curcumin
The State of Meghalaya, one of the eight states in Northeast India, could be sitting on a spice treasure. Why?
Because it is home to a special variety of turmeric that is a good source of curcumin (Curcumin is the pigment in a spice called turmeric and is the one that gives it a rich yellow colour and a pungent smell) — Lakadong Turmeric. Lakadong Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) is indigenous to Meghalaya. It grows in a small region in the West Jaintia Hills district, one of the eleven districts of Meghalaya. A place we fondly called Lakadong country. Its curcumin content is three times that of other varieties.
Lakadong Turmeric Production: An Overview
Here are the key phases of cultivation, processing, and packaging that bring us the miracle spice from Meghalaya.
#1 Sowing of Seeds: March-April showers enable the farmers from Meghalaya to prepare their land by clearing the weeds, bushes, and other vegetation. They plough and beat the soil to a fine tilth, make ridges and furrows and drop 2-3 seed rhizomes of Lakadong Turmeric into the pits and then cover with soil. Throughout the nine months of crop duration, weeding is undertaken at periodic intervals depending upon the intensity of weed growth.
#2 Harvesting: December/January is the period where Meghalaya farmers get set to welcome the miracle spice. The stems and leaves show tell-tale signs of wilting, and farmers then carefully dig into the earth with hoes to lift the clusters of rhizomes, tapping them to clear off the mud. Each rhizome cluster usually carries 8-12 finger rhizomes of Lakadong turmeric.
#3 Preserving the Seeds: The farmers from Meghalaya are particular about the seed quality for their future harvests and don’t trade them off for anything. They sort and separate the roots for consumption and selling, while the seeds are selected from the best of the lot for the next year’s turmeric cultivation.
#4 Processing: Processing team washes, dries and powders the turmeric and sends them to the accredited testing house to rule out the presence of any kind of hazards such as heavy metals like lead, adulterants like Sudan dye and chemical pesticides. The turmeric is then packaged with utmost care to be ready for dispatch.
Lakadong Turmeric Benefits
Unlike other turmeric variants, Lakadong turmeric is known to be highly potent as a result of its high curcumin content. Before delving in deep into the health benefits of Lakadong turmeric, here a key health benefits associated with this spice:
– Known to possess anti-inflammatory properties
– Great source of antioxidants
– Known to regulate blood pressure
– Helps in regulating cholesterol
– Helps boost immune system
– Has antimicrobial properties
The video below will guide you through the process of making handmade turmeric powder. Thank you for visiting our website! We hope you will find something of interest on our website. Watch the video in the below:
Video source: Country Food Cooking
