Turmeric aka local saffron at Ranweli Spice Garden

 Turmeric( sri lankan saffron)

 

Affordable saffron

Turmeric known in Europe as Curcuma, is a rhizomatous herbaceous plant which belongs to the ginger family. In sri lanka for the most part roots of Turmeric is used in cooking and  medicine. people also call this Sri lankan or local saffron. This is because it has most of the attributes of Indian saffron or original saffron which is a luxury. Since Indian saffron is a luxury that many people cannot afford, most of the time people preffer sri lankan saffron which is known as turmeric.

 How Turmeric is processed in sri lanka and India

 

Turmeric plants

   

Mature Turmeric roots can be planted and these roots will turn into a small plant in about 6 months. When Turmeric roots are ready leaves of the plant start to dry and then die. when all the leaves are dead we know that the time is ripe for picking.

These roots are dried  for about 30 minutes in the sun, afterwards they are need to be powdered untill it becomes orange-yellow. And this powder is used all over the world for coloring and as a spice in food and curries.

Tumeric powder

Turmeric has been in use in sri lanka and India for many years and is part and parcel of Ayurvedic or indigenous medicine. Ayurvedic doctors prescribe turmeric powder for skin deseases like psoriasis and gout.  In western medicine they have discovered a pain killer for cancer using turmeric powder. 

A long time ago Turmeric was known as a color and then for its therapeutic and medicinal properties. Turmeric is known as a holy spice in India and has been used as part of different Hindu functions for centuries. Hindu people in Sri lanka also use it for cleansing purposes since turmeric is a good germ killer. Turmeric has assumed an imperative part in Hindu mysticism. The robes of the Hindu priests were generally hued with a yellow color made of turmeric. During Tamil celebration Pongal, an entire turmeric plant with new rhizomes is offered as a thanksgiving to Suryan, the sun god. 

Many are the uses of turmeric when it comes to medicine and religion. As far as sri lanka goes turmeric is a spice that sri lankans cannot cook without. In almost all the dishes of sri lanka there is turmeric or kaha(kaha is the term locals use for turmeric). If you cook a curry with no turmeric in it and serve it to a sri lankan he will be able to tell you that the dish is missing turmeric. That is the kind of place turmeric has when it comes to sri lankans.

In sri lanka there is this potato like plant called 'mannyok'. In some countries this plant is known as 'cassava'. From those days there was a belief among sri lankans that this plant has a poison that can even capable of killing an elephant. And when they cooked this food they advised everyone to cook it without closing the pot and with lots of turmeric powder. Because from those days people knew that turmeric is a good germ killer and an anti poison agent.

Benefits of Nutmeg

Benefits of Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a world famous spice that has a long list of  benefits such as, its ability to relieve pain, improve memory, help digestion, boost skin health, reduce insomnia, increase immunity, prevent leukemia and improve blood circulation.

But doctors do not recommend more than one nutmeg per week because it is a strong spice and must be taken in small quantities. 
Nutmeg (the black color part of the fruit) and mace (red color part of the fruit) both have a sort of an acidic taste. Mace is regularly used in cake and pudding for the splendid saffron-like taste it produces. Nutmeg is used to flavor meat products.

The skin of this fruit (the yellowish color part) has a strong sour and acidic taste compared to the rest of the fruit. This is added into foods like chutney, jam, and cordial. And also it has got many medicinal uses. In fact it is a good home remedy for stomachache. In many Ayurvedic medicines nutmeg is used.

Nutmeg

Nutmeg

 

 

 

Nutmeg also known as muscat is a sour fruit that produces two of the most valuable and expensive spices in the world. Nutmeg is one of two spices that grow on an evergreen tree with the scientific classification Myristica fragrans, also known as common nutmeg. It is native to islands near Indonesia, but is now a globally used spice. This is the only tree which is the source of two distinct spices in the world. As you can see on the picture the red color part of the fruit is known as mace which is the most expensive part of the fruit. This red color part can tenderize any meat.

Nutmeg is the seed of the fruit, It weighs somewhere around 5 to 10g. nutmeg trees start to produce fruits once they are 7–9 years old, the tree starts to produce a considerable number of fruits after about 25 years. According to sri lankans 'the older the tree gets, the more fruits it produces.

Nutmeg is a delicate, slightly sweet spice that is widely used in cuisines around the world, including both Asian and western dishes. The tree is also highly valued because of the essential oils that are derived from the fruits and leaves. The essential oils from nutmeg are highly beneficial to health, and are frequently used in  herbal medicine.

Deutsche Übersetzung

Muskatnuss, auch Muskatnuss genannt, ist eine saure Frucht, die zwei der wertvollsten und teuersten Gewürze der Welt produziert. Muskatnuss ist eine von zwei Gewürzen, die auf einem immergrünen Baum wachsen. Die Myristica-Duftstoffe werden auch als gewöhnliche Muskatnüsse bezeichnet. Es ist heimisch auf Inseln in der Nähe von Indonesien, ist aber heute ein weltweit verwendetes Gewürz. Dies ist der einzige Baum, der die Quelle zweier verschiedener Gewürze in der Welt ist. Wie Sie auf dem Bild sehen können, wird der rote Teil der Frucht als Streitkolben bezeichnet, der teuerste Teil der Frucht. Dieser rote Farbteil kann jedes Fleisch zart machen. 

Muskatnuss ist der Samen der Frucht. Er wiegt etwa 5 bis 10 g. Muskatnussbäume produzieren Früchte, sobald sie 7 bis 9 Jahre alt sind. Nach etwa 25 Jahren beginnt der Baum mit einer beträchtlichen Anzahl von Früchten. Je älter der Baum wird, desto mehr Früchte produziert er.

Muskatnuss ist ein delikates, leicht süßliches Gewürz, das in der ganzen Welt, einschließlich asiatischer und westlicher Gerichte, weit verbreitet ist. Der Baum wird auch wegen der ätherischen Öle, die aus Früchten und Blättern gewonnen werden, hoch geschätzt. Die ätherischen Öle aus Muskatnüssen sind sehr gesundheitsfördernd und werden häufig in der Kräutermedizin verwendet.
 

Margosa

Margosa

 

Margosa otherwise called kohomba is a tree in the mahogany family. It grows in India and the Indian subcontinent including Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It is grown well under hot climatic conditions. Margosa trees are now  grown  in islands situated in the southern part of Iran. Its essence is the wellspring of Margosa oil.

Margosa is a quick developing tree that can achieve a tallness of 15–20 meters. During summer it may loose most of its leaves. The branches are wide and spreading. This tree produces white fragrant flowers. There is a belief among sri lankans when there is a Margosa tree in front of one's house with a lot of flowers it brings good luck to the house.