Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, which is a leafy perennial in the ginger family. The spice comes from the fingers that extend from the root. They are boiled or steamed, then ground and dried.
Most of us are familiar with turmeric for the bright yellow color it adds to food. It is thought to be one of the ancient Persian yellow spices that were associated with sun worship. Turmeric has been used as a dye since 600 BC and in Indonesia it was used to dye bodies as part of wedding rituals. Turmeric has also been used for centuries as a vegetable dye in the Far East and to give a deep yellow color to silks and cottons.
India is the world’s primary producer of turmeric although it is also cultivated in Indonesia, China, Bangladesh, South America and the Caribbean. Used extensively in East Indian and Southeast Asian cooking, turmeric is an essential ingredient of curry powder. The aroma has scents of orange and ginger with a flavor that resembles a combination of ginger and pepper. Similar to the very expensive saffron, Marco Polo described turmeric as an inexpensive substitute to the highly prized spice; however, the taste is more mild and bitter. Turmeric tastes great in rice and chicken dishes, chutneys, pickles, mixed with butter and drizzled over vegetables and with fish or shellfish.
High in potassium and ascorbic acid, turmeric also has many medicinal properties. It has been used as a healing salve for 3000 years, for insect bites and skin diseases and throughout Asia as a treatment for stomach and liver ailments, the common cold and upper respiratory disorders.
Although turmeric is mainly sold as a ground spice in major grocery stores, it can be found whole and dried at Global Foods Market, fresh at Jay’s International Food Company, and from time to time fresh at Seema Enterprises, a grocery store specializing in Indian-Pakistani-Middle Eastern foods. It is best to store turmeric in a cool dark place and should hold its flavor for up to three years.
This article appears in March 2024.