turmeric
spice or herb / spice-turmeric
ターメリック / Curcuma longa
Powdered turmeric rhizome. A concentration-dependent increase in bitterness and aftertaste has been assessed in food sensory tests.
On this page (8 sections)
Reading the bitterness
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a spice made from dried, powdered turmeric rhizome. A study of ice cream containing turmeric and black pepper used a preliminary assessment by seven trained panelists and consumer ratings of appropriateness and liking. As the amount of turmeric increased, rated intensities of overall taste, aroma, aftertaste, and bitterness rose significantly, and the higher-addition sample was marked with the attribute 「強すぎる」 (in translation: "too strong"). These findings concern a particular food containing milk fat and sugar; the numerical results cannot simply be applied to the powder alone or other dishes.
A study of a functional-beverage blend of pineapple juice and turmeric juice had a trained sensory panel of ten perform descriptive analysis on a 0-to-10 intensity scale. The high-pulp sample with the highest turmeric proportion, 20%, scored highest for bitterness among all blends. Specific mean intensity values are not given in the text and could only be checked in the figure.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' spice introduction treats ukon as an alternate name for turmeric, and cites turmeric rice served with curry as a familiar example of its use. This is not material that measured the amount used or the taste, but it is a public record showing how the rhizome powder is named and used in cooking.
In a 2024 crossover trial in which 20 healthy adults ate 4 kinds of breakfast, the 9-point 「味」 (in translation: "taste") preference score (mean ± standard deviation) for a meal with 1 g of turmeric powder added to egg was 5.9±0.47, versus 6.7±0.48 for the no-addition control. This is not the intensity of bitterness, but the overall likability of the meal, which included bread and milk tea. Because the meal combined with black pepper also differed in ingredient quantities, the effect of the combination cannot be isolated from this comparison alone.
Sources for this overview
Sensory Acceptance and Characterisation of Turmeric- and Black-Pepper-Enriched Ice Cream
Checked for this overview: Used the increase in bitterness ratings with increasing turmeric addition.
Checked for this overview: Used the result that the 20% blend had the highest bitterness score.
Checked for this overview: Used for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' identification of ukon with turmeric, the turmeric-rice usage example, and the qualification that this is introductory material without cooking quantities or sensory measurements.
Checked for this overview: Used for the 2024 test with 20 adults, 4 breakfasts, 1 g of turmeric, the mean ± standard deviation of the 9-point taste-preference score, the control value, the fact that this is not bitterness alone, and the differing conditions of the combined meal.
Other names: ウコン (ja)
Hypotheses and recipe candidates for this entry are on the Japanese page.
Structured claims — open a section to read each claim's confidence, evidence and limits
Sensory (3)
Scope: Trained-panel and consumer evaluation of ice cream with varying turmeric powder concentration
Note: Food-matrix- and concentration-dependent. Does not claim that turmeric is always perceived as predominantly bitter.
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spice-turmeric —can_increase→ "Perceived bitterness, aftertaste, and overall taste intensity of ice cream"Scope: Layer: food. A functional beverage blending pineapple, ginger, and turmeric (high-pulp HP and low-pulp LP conditions, turmeric proportions of 10/15/20%), assessed by descriptive analysis on a 0-10 intensity scale by a trained panel of 10 members.
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spice-turmeric —increases→ "In a functional-beverage blend of pineapple juice with turmeric juice added, the sample with a 20% turmeric proportion showed the highest bitterness-intensity score, among all blends, in the sensory panel's evaluation."Scope: Khan et al. 2024, 20 healthy adults, 4 breakfasts, each trial 1 week apart, a 9-point preference scale for the meal as a whole
Note: This is taste preference for the meal as a whole, not the intensity of bitterness alone. The meal combined with 1 g of black pepper scored 6.5±0.44 for taste, but Table 1 gives 10 g of sugar for the combined meal versus 8 g for the other meals, an inconsistency in conditions, so no interaction is asserted.
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spice-turmeric —has_sensory_response→ "In a randomized crossover trial with 20 participants, the 9-point taste-preference score (mean ± standard deviation) for a breakfast with 1 g of turmeric powder added to egg was 5.9±0.47, versus 6.7±0.48 for the no-addition control, shown as different letter groups"How processing and cooking change it (1)
Scope: A general-audience spice article in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' aff, August 2021 issue
Note: An introduction of culinary use, not material that measured quantity used, sensory attributes, or regional prevalence.
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spice-turmeric —is_used_as→ "The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' spice introduction treats ukon as an alternate name for turmeric and cites turmeric rice served with curry as a culinary example"Culture (1)
Scope: A candidate at the level of general knowledge. Regional and naming differences have not been confirmed.
No source connected — this claim has not been verified yet. It is a general-knowledge placeholder, not a confirmed statement.
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spice-turmeric —is_used_as→ "Spices and herbs that add bitter flavor and aroma to dishes and drinks"