Starwest BotanicalsOrganic Ground Turmeric Root Powder - Curcumin Spice for Cooking & Seasoning, Natural Source of Antioxidants, Immune Support, Certified Kosher, Non-GMO - Bulk 1 lb Bag

Like most of us, the turmeric I had used all my life came from the grocery store...and I thought it was used to color food, because it had no scent or flavor, what else could it be for?Unlike most of us, I have inherited arthritis, and my joints started to disintegrate in my twenties. Since turmeric is known as one of nature's best anti-inflammatory agents...the Arthritis Foundation sez it stops free radicals in their tracks, reduces swelling, and halts cartilage destruction...I figured I'd give it a try. A 1/4 tsp per day is supposed to do the trick, so I planned to put it in my tea each morning.But a pound of turmeric?? Tho' most of us wouldn't use that much in lifetime, I did the math and this was the most cost effective purchase, and I could share with friends & family.Well, it turns out turmeric HAS a flavor, and a good one. This is the power of freshness...whenI opened the plastic-coated foil bag to find a golden powder with a friendly, earthy scent I smelled turmeric for the first time ever. And when I put a bit on the tip of my tongue it tingled, and I realized I was experiencing the legendary numbing quality it is famous for.Fresh turmeric has a warm, earthy, umami quality, and I can see why chefs use it to add depth to their flavors; it would be a far superior flavor enhancer than MSG. I also understand why Indian cooks dry-fry their spices as a first step...the turmeric absolutely bloomed in hot tea, and a 1/4 teaspoon was too much per cup, more like per pot. It enhanced the natural grassiness of green tea, and the smoky mesquite honey I use, and even after adding cream the flavor and color were pleasant.Full disclosure: turmeric has an ever so slightly tannic quality that I only noticed when added to the natural astringency of tea. Some may find this unpleasant but it is really not pronounced. However, this is a review, so there it is.Turmeric is finely powdered root, a member of the ginger family, and when it is this fresh it still has slight moisture. And it stains; it has been used for centuries as a pelt and fabric dye. Be prepared, before it is delivered, with a quart jar to store it, one with an inner seal on the lid, like from a jar of spaghetti sauce (works perfect, four cups of powder almost exactly). The zip-lock foil bag it comes in will not work for home storage, and probably wasn't meant to.And turmeric & air are not buddies, that's why the stuff from the grocery store is so pale, and has no flavor or aroma. Treat this stuff properly, put a tablespoon or two in a spice container for regular use and store the rest away in that famous cool, dark place, and it will be your earthy friend for life.I would order any herb or spice from Starwest Botanicals. They clearly care about their product, and seem to be experts in the field. This was a superior experience, and if you figure the price per ounce compared to the groceries & natural food stores, a fairly priced one as well.

I've been using turmeric for almost a year now, on both myself and my dogs. I started out trying out the actual turmeric capsules, but have found that making a paste with all the necessary components for maximum absorption and digestion is a much more effective way of taking the powder/root! I still use the capsules if I'm traveling, but prefer the powder/root when I'm home.This product is a great price for a full pound. I've purchased various turmeric powders in the past, and this one is definitely right at the top in terms of quality. Some of the others I've gotten have been more course and grainy. This one is very finely ground and dissolves easily when I'm making my paste. In order to most effectively digest turmeric, an oil or some type of fat is needed, as turmeric is fat soluble. Black pepper is also effective in aiding in the absoprtion of turmeric, so I make sure that I include black pepper and oil in any type of mix I'm preparing.Turmeric in large quantities (much more than you'd put in a recipe) doesn't taste very good. There are different ways in which you can incorporate it into shakes and milks, but I actually just take mine in past form. I mix about 1T of turmeric to 1/2T of olive oil and a few grinds of a black pepper mill. If it's too pastey, I'll add a little water. I take half of this mix in the morning and half at night for general detoxifying and inflammation fighting.For my dogs, I was adding the components to peanut butter, but I noticed they were gaining weight from too much peanut butter, so now I add it to ground chicken or turkey. Here is the recipe-1LB lean ground chicken/turkey/beef ( I typically use 93/7 fat content meat. Anything leaner gets really dry.)4T turmericabout 2tsp black pepper (or more depending on your preference)2T coconut oil (great for skin and coat)1/4 cup crushed tomatoesI brown the meat and then stir in all other ingredients. I typically don't drain the meat as the minimal fat helps with digestion. I then feed this to my two older dogs twice a day. Each gets a heaping spoonful with their morning meal and a heaping spoonful with dinner.The difference the turmeric has made with my arthritic foster dog has been unbelievable. She arrived to me basically hopping on 3 legs from an old hip injury. After getting x-rays, it was determined that surgery wouldn't help the injury as it appeared to be an old injury that had too much calcification in the joint. I then started her on the turmeric regimen and incorporated some glucosamine and condroitin tabs. She has made a 90% turn around. She loves going on walks, I never see her hopping on 3 legs anymore (with the exception of one time when my turmeric shipment was late) and she is finally able to enjoy her life in much less pain! The anti-inflammatory properties have also helped my mom exponentially with her shoulder injury.Overall, I recommend turmeric for just about everyone! It's a miracle root and great for both preventative and current pain management.

Even though their prices have shot up like many brands, i still find Starwest to be a gold standard of quality for most of the things I've tried from them. The only downside was the bag had a small puncture (which I know falls more on Amazon side, but the packaging is much like a thin tin foil bag which is a seller decision), so i had yellow hands and a little product loss due to that choice. Flavor and effectiveness is excellent, and got a great deal.

I purchased this for the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin. When mine arrived, it was more brown than in the photos. I had always assumed that oranger turmeric had more curcumin, but I decided to look that up, and it seemed that more brown actually meant more curcumin, but could also mean more air exposure so I wrote to the company. They said they received several inquiries about this so they did a thorough investigation, including running tests on that particular lot. What they found was that the batch I received contained turmeric from roots that grew longer than usual, and actually had a higher curcumin content (4.5% v. 3%). I’m so pleased with the outcome, and the way the company addressed this. They even offered to make it right if my purchase was for the color, but since it was for this properties this worked out perfectly!

This is a great product.