#HealthResearch

For centuries, the slender, finger-like fruit known as ดีปลี (Dipli)—or long pepper to the wider world—has been valued in Thai kitchens and medicine cabinets alike. Revered for its spicy-hot kick and its potent medicinal reputation, Dipli has traveled the journey from sacred ritual and home remedy to the laboratory bench, where new research is validating some ancestral claims while raising important questions about its safety and efficacy. Today, this unassuming fruit—harvested just before ripening from the Piper retrofractum vine—stands at a crossroads between tradition and science, inviting curious minds and health enthusiasts to discover its story.

Celebrated as the “golden spice” of Southeast Asia, Curcuma longa—known to Thais as ขมิ้นชัน (khamin chan)—has long woven itself into the tapestry of daily life, traditional healing, and culinary delights across Thailand. But in recent years, this humble root, revered in ancient wisdom, has caught the gaze of modern researchers eager to investigate its true medicinal value. Today, ขมิ้นชัน stands at the intriguing intersection of ancient practice and present-day science, offering both a bridge to Thailand’s rich heritage and a potential path to future wellness.