Celebrating “Tea-riffic Herbs”
From Time to Thyme
By Paula Dunn
When I learned that the 2026 Herb of the Year was turmeric, my initial reaction was, “Oh. Great.” Not being into spicy food, I’ve never had occasion to use turmeric.
I do, however, know a few things about it.
Turmeric comes from the rhizome of the plant, Curcuma longa, a member of the ginger family. Because it’s tropical, it can only be raised indoors in our climate.
If you’ve ever eaten a dish made with curry, you’ve probably eaten turmeric. It’s a staple ingredient of Indian cuisine.
(Don’t confuse the curry in Indian dishes with the silver plant called “curry plant” that’s sold by some herb nurseries. That’s actually Helichrysum italicum and itCAN be grown outdoors in Indiana, at least during warm weather — I’ve done it — butit’s not real curry. It justsmells like curry.)
Real curry powder is a mixture of several different spices. The ones most commonly used are turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom, ginger, fenugreek, cinnamon and black pepper, but the ingredients vary depending on the person making it.
Turmeric is also a dye plant. Buddhist monks traditionally use it to dye their robes that beautiful golden orange color.
Usually, you’ll find turmeric sold as a powder in the spice section of your local supermarket, but some more specialized stores, like Whole Foods, carry the rhizome itself.
Long used in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine, turmeric has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and it may help with brain functions. However, as with many herbal supplements, the key is moderation. Taking too much can cause liver damage.
When I was looking for recipes using turmeric, Rhonda Miller sent the one below for Golden Milk, a healthful, traditional Indian drink. (The turmeric is what makes it golden.)
Rhonda got the recipe from fellow Herb Society of Central Indiana member Effie Eitel, but it originally came from the International Herb Association’s Herb of the Year 2026 book on turmeric.
Golden Milk (makes 1/4 C. of the mixture)
3 Tbsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. fennel
1/4 tsp. organic ground cardamom
12 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Ceylon cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ginger powder (optional)
Combine ingredients and store in an airtight container. Add 1 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. of the mixture to a cup of warmed half and half or warmed whole milk with a shot of espresso. Use milk froth to make it “delightful.”
You can learn more about turmeric at the Herb Society of Central Indiana’s Spring Symposium. (Yes, it’s back again after taking last year off!)
The theme of this year’s symposium is “Tea-riffic Herbs” because they’re not only celebrating turmeric, they’re also saluting chamomile, the 2025 Herb of the Year. Both are well known tea herbs.
The symposium will be held April 18 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Hamilton County 4-H Fairgrounds Event Center, aka “The Silos@37.” You can register online or by mail, but do it by the cut-off date, March 29.
A boxed lunch catered by Juniper Spoon is included in the registration fee. (The menu, which can be viewed on the HSCI website, appropriately features turmeric and curry.)
For more information, or to register for the symposium, see the HSCI website: https://sites.google.com/view/herb-society-of-central-indian/symposium-2026.
Thanks to Lisa Hayner, and HSCI members Sue Arnold and Rhonda Miller for researching turmeric recipes for me!
Paula Dunn’s From Time to Thyme column appears on Wednesdays in The Times. Contact her at younggardenerfriend@gmail.com