The following article was submitted by a reader and author of the fun and informative website Hella Delicious. Burma is a complex and wonderful country, and it's always great to learn something new about it. Other Burma Underground readers are also welcome to submit articles to be published here.

Golden Spice Lilly of the Golden Land
Renee Htein

An unexpected storm in the middle of the cold dry season caused havoc on the highway up the mountains to the Shan plateau. The large air-conditioned bus with its frozen passengers came to a halt. In the last few minutes before the sun rose I was advised to go to the toilet. “Why?” I asked, expecting to hear an explanation about how the first elimination of the day should be before the sun comes up to maintain a strong constitution. “Once the sun comes up everyone will see you, there are cars stopped on every bend, and who knows how long we will be here,” came the logical answer. I quickly found an especially dark spot to do my business.

As the sun rose I went to have a look at what had stopped the traffic. After passing about fifty huge buses and trucks, I reached the source of the problem. A truck overloaded with cabbages had tried to pass another large truck on a tight corner. It was lucky to still be on the road, the front left tire hung over a steep cliff which disappeared into the mist. People milled around, watching the trucks as if they were going to move themselves. I was soon envisioning being trapped on this red muddy road for days and decided to grab my small bag and head to the other side of the traffic jam. “That mile post does say only twenty miles to Kalaw,” I convinced myself, squinting at the Burmese numerals on the muddy mile post nearby. Another impatient young fellow opted to go with me. After a brief jungle treck we found ourselves being dropped off outside the central market in Kalaw, vastly relieved that a friendly pickup had given us a ride. The journey along the windy mountain road had been much longer than I imagined.

It was still misty when I ducked into the central market and found my favorite stall selling Shan noodles—delicious rice noodles in curried chicken broth with soft yellow lentil tofu unique to Shan State, served with a side of pickled mustard greens. I had been hungry for this dish for ever since I had last been in Kalaw. “It’s market day!” I was told by another satiated customer as we sipped the complimentary green tea to wash the noodles down. In Shan State the local farmer markets move on a five day rotation system in a circuit around neighboring villages. Delighted at my unexpected stroke of luck, I joined the crowds of shoppers picking their way around muddy puddles in the narrow pathways between small stalls filled with vegetables, fruits, dried and fresh meats and other interesting snacks and gadgets.

Before too long I was struck by the bright head-scarf of a Pa-o woman (one of the many hill tribe groups that live in the area) sitting straight and confident behind three equally bright pyramids of spices. The golden vibrant color of the middle pyramid was shaped and smoothed, seeming to replicate the shape of the golden stupas of the millions of pagodas scattered all over Myanmar. I found the radiant deep orange-saffron glow shining through gray misty day just as awe inspiring and spiritually uplifting as the gleaming golden Shwedagon which protects and inspires Yangon. “Sa Nwin la?” I stammered, trying to recall my limited knowledge of Myanmar—“Is it turmeric?” Her ageless face lit up into a glowing smile as she nodded.

I had developed a deep respect for turmeric the last time I had been in Myanmar. I had tripped over a cracked sidewalk walking the streets of Yangon and sprained my ankle. Several Myanmar friends of mine advised me to paste my ankle with turmeric and water and wrap it up. It quickly reduced the inflammation and I was soon stumbling along the streets again. I began asking everyone I met about turmeric and marveled at the multitude of ailments it is used for. Everyone agreed that turmeric is a good companion for women — for young women wishing to improve their complexion, regulate their menstruation and bring out that virginal glow — but also especially important for women right after childbirth. An enthusiastic and romantic young man explained how he had lovingly hand pounded fresh dried root, mixed it with pure forest honey from the Shan States, rolled it into pellets and dried it in the sun for his wife in preparation for the arrival of his baby. Myanmar women take these turmeric and honey pellets orally every day and paint their bodies with the paste of turmeric and water for about 40 days following childbirth. Turmeric is said to heat their bodies, causing them to sweat, purifying their blood and improving their circulation, making them fresh and new-born themselves, while at the same time protecting them physically, emotionally and spiritually during the difficult and vulnerable time after giving birth.

This deep orange spice, Curcuma longa, is also used in most Myanmar dishes. It is heated in oil with the onion, garlic and ginger base of all Myanmar curries. It is also gently heated in the si chet (peanut oil, fried garlic and turmeric) which is a staple in the multitude of delicious Myanmar salads. From the Zingiberaceae family which also gives us the other culinary delights ginger, galanga and cardamon, turmeric plants grow 3-5 feet tall and produce lovely gold flowers with a delicate mango-sunshine aroma. The trade center of turmeric was originally Maharashtra, India, and from here the use of turmeric spread to Myanmar and beyond. Traditionally, the fresh roots were stored in huge pits 18-20 feet deep and matured for 3-4 years. Once these huge pits were uncovered it was 2 to 3 hours before sufficient oxygen reached the depths to allow the cured roots to be retrieved. Modern day methods simply include cleaning, boiling, drying and pounding this remarkable rhizome to make it usable for human consumption. It is interesting to note that many Myanmar households will grind their own turmeric to ensure it isn’t adulterated with rice-powder. Turmeric is even used as an ingredient in Myanmar mosquito coils.

The respect and enthusiasm the Myanmar people have for turmeric is mirrored in the present day scientific community as more and more of the traditional beliefs are being confirmed. Curcumin is the rhizome’s most renowned phytochemical and has been found to be a powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-mutagenic, anti-parasitic and anti-viral substance. It has also been found to be very beneficial for stomach problems including indigestion, ulcers, diarrhea and helping to reestablish beneficial flora in the digestive system after a course of anti-biotics. More recently, studies are being done to test use of curcumin for nervous system disorders such as Alzheimer’s and MS. Some preliminary studies have also been done researching use of curcumin as a therapy for cystic fibrosis. There are many more diseases that this spice alleviates or remedies.

It is important to note that pregnant women shouldn’t consume much turmeric as it can stimulate uterine contractions. Turmeric also stimulates the flow of bile (which helps digest fats) so it is best not to
use if you have gall-stones.

Turmeric gets its name from the Latin terra merita meaning “meritorious earth” and with its history of usefulness it is easy to understand how it earned this title. Curcumin supplements can be found in health shops all over the world. As the Myanmar people well know it is difficult to tell the authenticity of such fad products. Adding ground turmeric to your daily diet is a much more simple, practical, and cost effective method of benefiting from this spice. Just follow the recipe below. Other meats can be substituted for the river prawns.

Myanmar Prawn Curry
Serves 4

1” ginger, peeled
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 medium onion, sliced
3 tomatoes, de-seeded and pureed or use 1T tomato paste
1 T oil
1t turmeric
1t chili powder—or more if you like it hot
12-16 large prawns
Prepare the curry gravy by pounding the ginger, garlic and onions in a
mortar and pestle. This can also be done in a food processor.
Heat the oil. Add the turmeric and chili powder. Add the curry gravy
mixture and sauté a couple minutes. Add the prawns and sauté briefly.
Add salt or fish sauce to taste.