Tantalizing Turmeric

                                               Turmeric is the root of a flowering plant

Google turmeric and you’ll be presented with 62 million articles in a nano second.   Turmeric has recently been widely touted as a food supplement for its supposed anti-inflammatory properties.   This article, however, looks at turmeric solely from a culinary standpoint.

                                                   Ginger & turmeric are cousins 

Turmeric is a member of the ginger family.  It’s easy to see the familial resemblance between these two as fresh turmeric root looks similar to ginger root.  However, once peeled, the interior of these two is quite different in that turmeric is bright orange.   Most likely native to India, turmeric is what gives curry its vibrant yellow-orange color.

Turmeric is actually the quasi root of a flowering perennial plant.  It requires warm temperatures and lots of water.  The hot and humid weather of India and South Asia offer perfect conditions and turmeric grows wild in their forests.   It’s no wonder that the cuisines of both India and the countries of southern Asia are replete with recipes that utilize turmeric.   However, turmeric is also widely used in Middle Eastern cooking and North African recipes.

 

                             Many different turmerics are available in this Istanbul market 

Most turmeric is used in the form of a dried, ground powder to impart an intense color.  It is the principal ingredient in curry powders.  Turmeric gives not only color but provides a pungent earthy, mustard-like flavor.   Although used mostly in savory dishes, it is also used in sweet dishes such as ice-cream and baked products like cakes.  Similar to its cousin ginger, turmeric can also be used fresh in items such as Asian pickles.

                         This crowd pleaser, Chicken tikka masala, is the turmeric bomb*

My favorite use of turmeric is in one of my most beloved recipes, chicken tikka masala:

 https://cafedelites.com/chicken-tikka-masala/

*compliments of TripAdvisor 

Foodie Gifts to Bring Home from Vietnam

Wine-Knows is going to Vietnam for the second time in February 2016.  Several clients have inquired about what kinds of gifts are best to bring back for foodie friends at home.  All require little space and have relatively small weight when compared to other gift items that may tempt you.

Coffee:

                 Coffee is an art-form in Vietnam...they even have their own drip maker.

Some of you may be scratching your head on this one----coffee from Vietnam?   Trust me when I say, "trust me" on this one. Vietnam is one of the world's largest coffee producers (second only to Brazil).   Like French Roast?  You'll enjoy the Vietnamese version...no doubt strongly influenced by the French occupation of the country for nearly 100 years.  And, I know just the place to buy it.

Lotus tea:

                                                         One sip and you'll be hooked!                                               

A dear Vietnamese friend from California  (born in Saigon) came on my last trip to Vietnam.  One of her favorite things as a child was lotus tea.  It was love at first sip for me.  Actually, it was love at first smell.  This tea has an intense but delicate floral aroma and taste.  The petals of the lotus plant are picked in the early morning and dried for this tea.  It's a culinary masterpiece.

5 spice powder:

                      With just a tablespoon or so, these packets are easy for packing.

Some of the dishes prepared in cooking classes on our first trip were made with this intoxicating mixture.  Yes, one can buy 5 spice in the USA, but the Vietnamese version is more aromatic and complex in flavor.  I plan to bring home double the amount I did on the last trip.

Dried strawberries:

                  While there are many dried fruits in Vietnam, the strawberries were special.

Yes, you can occasionally find these in the USA, but they are not as intense as those in Vietnam.  These are a scrumptious delicacy that are sure to please even the most discerning gourmet.

Dried snow mushrooms:

              I rushed to the market to buy these immediately following our cooking class.

I fell in love with these in northern Vietnam's mountains where tea is grown on hillside terraces against a breathtaking backdrop of rural villages and lush landscapes.  These delectable edibles grow on trunks of trees and are used in a variety of salads and main dishes.   I intend to fill my suitcase with bags of them as they are nearly weightless.

We have two spots left in the upcoming trip to Vietnam in February 2016.    The trip is showcased at www.WineKnowsTravel.com.

Jack Fruit---the Yummiest Fruit I've Had

                                      Exotic jack fruits are seen in every Vietnamese market

Five years ago two of my clients of Vietnamese heritage visited us for a weekend at our home near San Diego.  They came baring gifts of strange looking fruit with wonderfully exotic aromas.  One of them was jack fruit…and it was love at first bite.  The two women friends intermingled stories of their families’ escape during the Vietnam War with heart-warming accounts of eating jack fruit back in Vietnam as small children.  While not yet available in traditional supermarkets in California, this fruit is sold in many Vietnamese food stores in California’s urban centers with large Asian populations.

So what is jack fruit?  The flavor is an addictively delicious symphony of pineapple, banana, mango and apple.  While the fruit is used in Vietnamese desserts such as puddings and cakes, I prefer the raw version where I can taste every one of its special notes.  Perfectly ripe jack fruit is like no other fruit you will ever taste.  The texture is also unusual---somewhat fibrous, it is an excellent source of dietary fiber ( as well as high in protein, potassium and vitamin B). Jack fruit is also the largest tree-borne fruit in the world growing up to a ginormous 80 lbs, and as much as a yard in length. 

Although Vietnam is one of the largest producers of jack fruit, this delectable edible is widely cultivated throughout Southeast Asia.  Archaeological findings indicate that it was cultivated in India as long as 3,000 to 6,000 years ago.  Jack fruit is also grown in Brazil.

The inside of the jack fruit is very unusual.  It looks to me like something from another planet...somewhat alien.  The first time I saw it sliced open I was shocked.  There's no way to actually describe it.

                         Hard to imagine that something this strange could be so yummy

Those of you who are coming with us on next February’s culinary tour of Vietnam will see jack fruit throughout the country---I even saw a tree growing in the downtown of Hanoi.  Every outdoor market we visited on the 2014 tour had them.  In Saigon there was a woman selling bite-size morsels of jack fruit in a handy take-out container…luckily her small stand was stationed just outside my uber-modern spa hotel located in the heart of the city.  I was a BIG customer of her products for the several days I spent in this fascinating French-inspired metropolis. 

                                           Jack fruit morsels ready for plucking                                             

For more information about the 2016 foodie’s tour of Vietnam check out the upcoming trip:   http://www.wineknowstravel.com/Vietnam_itinerary.htm

For a slideshow of the much-loved 2014 Vietnamese tour with Wine-Knows, don’t miss this slideshow of how we ate and drank our way across this mesmerizing country:

http://play.smilebox.com/SpreadMoreHappy/4e4441334d5441774f44453d0d0a