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Curcuma Amada Mango Ginger White Turmeric Root
Packet containing 1x small, rare, and very expensive rhizome!
True Mango Ginger or White Turmeric is super hard to find here in Australia, and until very recently I have been keeping it for just me and the Mrs.
It is famed as medicinal species and is very closely related to common yellow turmeric ~Curcuma longa.
Unlike the more common turmeric, this fella actually tastes good!
Like a fragrant tangy green mango with a mild ginger flavour and warm notes of heat at the end.
So good that I often just grate a little adding boiling water and drink it as a tea.
This is also the idea flavouring for a curry, pickles or chutney.
Because the flavour is mild and it is not as fibrous as it’s relatives it makes a great vegetable in it’s own right.
Just slice it up and chuck in your next curry, you won’t regret it!
In SE-Asia it is most commonly used in hot or cold salads espcially in Thailand.
The flowers are also steamed with rice or cooked as a specialty seasonal vegetable that always demand a high price at market.
Something that surprised me here in Australia is that many of the commercially packaged Indian pickles and chutneys sold in Asian grocer stores list “mango” as the major ingredient when in fact it is this fella making up the majority instead.
I don’t believe this is a deliberate substitution scam situation, more likely a translation issue, but even so it is amazing how many products contain large amounts of this fella as an essential ingredient even though most Aussie folks have never even heard of it.
You never ever see it sold fresh anywhere, let alone being at the major supermarkets, but mark my words that will change with time.
A potent antioxidant it is also known for its anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergenic effects.
When extracted the large amounts of curcuminoids(curcumin, des-methoxy curcumin, demethoxy curcumin etc) and terpenoids(difurocumenonol, amadannulen, amadaldehyde etc)have anti-cancer effects showing potential for the treatement of colon, lung, cervical and breast cancer.
For hundreds of years it has been used in Ayurveda and Unani medicine as a diuretic, expectorant, aphrodisiac, carminative, digestive, stomachic, demulcent, febrifuge, alexeteric, aphrodisiac, laxative, expectorant, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic and used in the treatment of itching, wounds, cough, respiratory illness, hiccups, fever, inflammations, ear pain, anorexia, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, bruises, wounds, chronic ulcers, skin diseases, pruritus, fever, constipation, hiccough, cough, bronchitis, sprains, gout, halitosis, otalgia and inflammations.
Also extensively used for cough cold and flu and for me personally I reckon a hot tea when I’m feeling crook really hits the spot, soothing my throat and clearing any congestion.
It is very commonly known as mango ginger or white turmeric, sometimes even Curcuma manggo. It is also called aam-ada, aamaa-haldi, aamaa aadaa, aambaa haldhar, aamba haldi, aambe halad, am-ada, ambaa halad, ambarasini, ambiya haladi, am haladhi, amiyaa haldi, amradrakam, amragandha-haridra, daarchob, huli arsin, karpura haridra, khamin khao, kha min khao, koneng joho, koneng lalab, koneng pare, kunir putih, kunyit mangga, kunyt mangga, mamidi allamu, manga injee, mangayinji, mankayyinji, temmo pao, temmo pote, temu bajangan, temu lalab, temu mangga, temu pauh, temu poh, and temu putih.
I am a big fan of Gingers and Turmeric species and I keep a heap of others at this Ginger & Turmeric link.
Even as ornamental’s they make a great choice, and if you grow them in a sandy well draining soil mix and only water when dry like I do, then I can’t really see any dramas growing these fellas.
I grow mine all in neglected 9lt pots of sandy soil that hardly ever get a water as it makes the harvest super easy and I believe the harsh conditions increase the potency of the plant. You get slightly smaller tuberous roots compared to growing in lush moist conditions, but the end product is more pungent, oily, and way brighter colours when cut.
You can then just dump the pots of soil out on a piece of wire chicken mesh screen and the sandy soil falls through, roots are all left behind nice and clean. Replant the ones with small plants attached, divide up the tubers for use and/or propagation of more plants.
A small piece of clean fresh root grows about 4x the size before dying off for harvesting, and a small piece of root with a plant stem attached already grows 6-10x the size between harvests. Small plants grow way faster and bigger than pieces of root the same size/weight so take note of that when replanting your first couple crops.
Grown by me and the Mrs organically, no chems no nasties, no problems!!!
