Ginger vs Turmeric: What's the Difference, and Which Should You Use?

By Suhail Rivera, JD, founder of Alkaline Herb Shop

Ginger and turmeric get used together so often that people forget they are different spices with different jobs in the cup. They are actually cousins, both roots in the ginger family, but ginger brings heat and turmeric brings colour and earth. If you are deciding which to reach for, here is the short version: ginger for a warm, spicy tea, turmeric for golden milk and colour, and both together for the classic pairing.

The quick answer

Choose ginger for a bright, spicy, warming cup you can steep in minutes. Choose turmeric for golden milk, for colour, and for an earthy rather than spicy drink. Use both when you want a golden milk with a bit of heat.

How they taste

Ginger is pungent and warming, with a clean spicy heat. Turmeric is earthy and mildly bitter, more about deep flavour and golden colour than heat. Ginger wakes a drink up, and turmeric gives it body and that unmistakable gold.

They are actually related

Turmeric, Curcuma longa, and ginger, Zingiber officinale, are both in the same botanical family. That is why their roots look similar and why they work so well together. Turmeric is the milder, more bitter cousin, and ginger is the sharp, spicy one.

How you use each

Ginger is a cut root you steep. Add a teaspoon or two to hot water, cover, steep 5 to 10 minutes, and strain, as our guide to making ginger root tea explains. Turmeric is a ground powder, so it does not steep and strain the same way. It is whisked into warm plant milk for golden milk, or stirred into hot water and kept moving so it does not settle, as in our guide to golden milk and turmeric tea.

Do they have caffeine?

Neither one. Both ginger and turmeric are naturally caffeine free, which is why golden milk and ginger tea are both good evening drinks.

Using them together

This is the best of both. A pinch of turmeric in a cup of ginger tea gives you colour and earthiness under the spice, and a spoon of dried ginger in golden milk gives that comforting latte a warm kick. Add a pinch of black pepper to the turmeric side, as golden milk recipes traditionally do.

Which should you buy?

Choose cut and sifted ginger root if you want a spicy tea you can steep, or ground turmeric if you want golden milk and colour. Most people who like one end up keeping both, because they do different jobs and pair so well. Both are organic or wildcrafted, with nothing added.

One note for both

If you are pregnant or nursing, or take prescription medicine, speak to your doctor before making either a regular drink. Neither is recommended for anyone under 18.

Suhail Rivera is the founder of Alkaline Herb Shop, which sources and sells the ginger and turmeric described in this article.

Suhail Rivera is not a medical professional. This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting any herb, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or managing a health condition.