Way, waay back when we first launched Primal Palate Organic Spices, our original line included Ginger and Turmeric. We included those two spices for their amazing health benefits, but somewhere along the way, we decided to make room for other flavors and put Ginger and Turmeric on the back burner. Well, they are back and part of the lineup again. We love these spices in everyday cooking, as they bring some exotic flavors to our weeknight meals, along with awesome health benefits.

Turmeric

Turmeric is a staple in Asian cuisine. This rhizome (root) is known for its vibrant orange-yellow hue (which, by the way, can stain, so just be careful with it!) It contains a compound called curcumin which is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. In order to make the curcumin bioavailable, piperine (found in black pepper) is needed to help inhibit the metabolic breakdown of turmeric compounds in the gut and the liver, so we suggest grabbing a bottle of our black pepper along with your turmeric. Turmeric has a slightly peppery taste, and is a signature component in curry powder, providing its bright yellow color. You can incorporate turmeric into everyday meals, putting it into marinades, rice, on chicken, and in curries. We use turmeric in our Aromatic Chicken Thighs, and we also like using it in dry rubs for ribs. We EVEN use a tiny bit of turmeric powder to give the appropriate color to our Dairy-free Mac & Cheese recipe.

Recipes that use Turmeric

Ginger

Ginger is widely used in Asian & Indian cuisine.  From desserts to stir frys, this super food ingredient has a variety of uses, both culinary and medicinal. It’s famously used for quelling upset stomachs, but also has anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols (giving it pain-relief abilities). Just like turmeric, ginger is a rhizome (which is a way to describe a root that grows laterally) that originated in South East Asia, likely India. We like using Ginger (powder) in many different dishes that we make. Perhaps most frequently is our Sweet and Sticky Wings in the sauce. It is an absolutely essential ingredient in our stir fry dishes. We even use it in our Tempura Shrimp!

Recipes that use Ground Ginger

Cayenne

And for a new addition to our lineup, we’ve introduced Cayenne. Adding a nice little fiery kick to your spice cabinet, Cayenne is obviously from the pepper family (just like bell peppers, jalapeños, and paprika). With a rating around 40,000 Scoville units (a measurement of spicy heat for peppers), Cayenne is hot, but not kill-you hot. We think it adds just the right amount of heat to your cooking. We use it in a variety of dishes to add just the right amount of spice. We like it on Cajun Sweet Potato Fries, and use a touch to heat up the batter in Fish and Chips. And in much the same way, we sometimes like adding a dash to our pasta sauce too!

Recipes that use Cayenne

You can find all three of these spices in our shop now. The easiest way to get them is to make a Create Your Own Pack, and include them. They are also included in our expanded Kitchen Essentials pack, which contains all of our culinary spices.