What is turmeric root (white)? Actually TCM wise it doesn’t refer to the best known species like Curcuma longa or Curcuma zedoaria. Instead it means their cousin in the family Zingiberaceae – Curcuma phaeocaulis Val. or Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb., Curcuma Kwangsiensis S. G.Lee et C. F. Liang, and Curcuma wenyujin Y.H. Chen et C. Ling. As its name suggested, root is the main medicinal part. It comes with several common names like rhizoma curcumae, Turmeric Rhizome, and so on. But sometimes they are generally called as Zedoaria Rhizome, Zedoary, zedoary root, zedoary rhizome, and more. However, apparently they mean different species on particular occasions.
Curcuma phaeocaulis Val. is mainly produced in Sichuan, Guangdong, and Guangxi. Roots are oval, long oval, conical or fusiform, 2 to 8cm long, 1.5 to 4cm in diameter, and with tip blunt top and obtuse bottom. Surface is from greyish yellow to gray-brown, with raised upper part and rounded or slightly concave fibrous scar or residual fibrous roots. It is heavy, solid, and with grayish brown to blue-brown waxy section. It is lightly scented, and slightly bitter and acrid in flavor; Curcuma Kwangsiensis S. G.Lee et C. F. Liang is primarily from Guangxi. It comes with slightly raised rings and yellow-brown to brown cross section, which is often with light yellow powder and cortex with yellow-white ring pattern; C.wenyujin Y.H.Chenet C.Ling is basically from in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. It comes with yellowish brown to dark brown section, which is often with pale yellow to yellow-brown powder. It is scented or slightly scented.
Medicinally turmeric ginger root is harvested in autumn and winter after leaves and stems wither away. The overground part, fibrous roots and scale leaves need to be removed after that. Next clean them, steam or cook them thoroughly, dry them in the sun, slice them, and finally use them raw or processed with rice vinegar.
Main chemical constituents are volatile oil, in which major ingredients include curzerenone, epicurzerenone, curzenene, curdione, curcumol, camphor, borneol, etc.
White turmeric root benefits
As mentioned above, the turmeric root health benefits have been found by ancient herbalists and widely used for various ailments thanks to its great healing properties. Nowadays it is also made into tea, powder, smoothie, juice, extract, supplement, essential oil, drink, curry, capsules, chutney, etc. for cooking and medical purposes. And it has an even more extensive applications on Acne, alzheimer’s, acne scars, arthritis, cancer, gynecomastia, Gout, detox, inflammation, pain, weight loss, skin problems, Diabetes, hair removal, and more.