James Peterson

Turmeric

Appears in
Splendid Soups
Splendid Soups

By James Peterson

Published 2000

  • About

I’ve read that turmeric is available fresh in some markets, but I’ve been unable to track it down in even my favorite out-of-the-way places in Chinatown. Fresh turmeric looks somewhat like ginger except that it has a distinct orange tint. According to Bruce Cost (Bruce Cost’s Asian Ingredients), Indian and Southeast Asian cooks slice or chop turmeric to use in stews (and presumably soups).

Even though it has no detectable flavor, I use ground turmeric to give an appealing orange color to soups containing curry. If you’re stuck with an Indian or Southeast Asian soup that looks drab, whisk in a teaspoon of ground turmeric.