Why it’s good we turned to turmeric

● An earthy yellow heap of powder goes into sizzling oil, just a quarter of a teaspoon of golden pungency. Turmeric has been part of Indian food preparation for centuries, but this generation has never really asked why.

What we might have thought was an aesthetic addition to braising onion and tempered spices took the world by storm when its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, brain-boosting and fatburning properties were discovered.

Soon Starbucks was serving turmeric lattes, new-age moms added turmeric to macaroni and cheese for extra glow with a side of flu-fighting properties, and of course, it was condensed into potent medical supplements. Curcumin, the active ingredient, was made into pills and bottled.

But our grandmothers knew the benefits of turmeric.

It has stained their plasticware for decades, marinating meat or vegetables, rice or legumes. (It has also been used in facial products in India since the beginning of time, but that hasn’t caught on yet.)

In a time when malnutrition is more related to being overweight than underweight, traditions are imperative.

Speaking at Discovery’s Future of Food event, Dr Craig Nossel, head of Vitality at Discovery, said home cooking, fresh food and good-quality ingredients could go a long way to solving South Africa’s health problems.