There are times when you just know something is different. That is how I felt when I came across Lakadong turmeric for the first time. It wasn’t subtle at all.
The colour was deeper — not the bright, flat yellow you see everywhere. It was fuller. The smell was stronger too. More earthy. And when I used it, the difference was immediate. You didn’t need as much. You could feel the strength of it.
Lakadong turmeric comes from a small region in Meghalaya. And it’s not grown at scale. And while you’ll often hear people talk about its higher curcumin content, that’s not the first thing you notice.
But; not all turmeric is the same.
Different regions, different soil, different ways of growing and processing, they all change what ends up in your kitchen. And one of the biggest differences comes down to how much of the active compound, Curcumin, is actually present.
Most commercial turmeric sits somewhere around 2–5% curcumin. Some varieties go slightly higher. But certain regions, like Lakadong in Meghalaya, are known to produce turmeric with significantly higher levels.
And once you know this, a lot of things start making sense.
Why some turmeric looks brighter, but tastes flat.
Why some smells sharp, but disappears in food.
Why some needs more and still doesn’t feel like enough.
Because it’s not just about colour. It’s about concentration.
Curcumin is the compound that gives turmeric its depth — not just its colour, but its strength. It’s what’s been studied for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, influencing everything from how the body handles inflammation to how it responds to oxidative stress. 
It also interacts with the body in surprisingly complex ways. Helping regulate inflammatory pathways, neutralising free radicals, and even interfering with how certain bacteria grow and communicate. 
Which means the more present it is, the more noticeable the turmeric becomes.
That “strength” you felt the first time you tried better turmeric. It wasn’t imagined.
It was concentration. And once you experience that, it’s very hard to go back.
Maybe that’s the simplest way to understand it. Not through percentages or numbers, but through how it feels when you use it. I feel, good ingredients rarely need explanation. They reveal themselves to us.
And at Baanar, this is the kind of difference we’re trying to hold onto. Not by saying too much (well, maybe saying a little) but by choosing things that speak for themselves.
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Until next time.
Y
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