Turmeric

Hindi Name: Haldi

Botanical name: Curcuma longa L

Family name: Zingiberaceae

Commercial part: Rhizome or underground stem

The use of turmeric dates back nearly 4000 years, to the Vedic culture in India, when turmeric was the principal spice and also of religious significance. Turmeric is also sometimes called 'Indian saffron' because of its brilliant yellow color and Indian turmeric is considered the best in the world.

India alone produces nearly the whole world's crop of turmeric and uses 80% of it. In today's India, turmeric is added to nearly every dish be it non- vegetarian or vegetables. Turmeric is part of all Indian curry powders and due to Indian influence, turmeric made its way to the cuisine of Ethiopia. In South East Asia, the fresh spice is much preferred to the dried.

Turmeric root is very similar in appearance to gingerroot, except that, once peeled, is bright yellow in color. Turmeric is more commonly found and used in powdered form and is often used in place of saffron, more for it's color than flavor which is warm and peppery. Turmeric is most often used in curries, but is also used in chutneys, rice and vegetable dishes.

Turmeric powder should be kept in an airtight container and stored in a cool dry place. It is not advisable to make fresh turmeric powder or paste as it is extremely hard to grind.

India today is the largest exporter of turmeric to countries like the Middle East, the UK, USA and Japan.

Some of the well-accepted varieties are 'Alleppey Finger' and 'Erode turmeric' (from Tamil Nadu), 'Rajapore' and 'Sangli turmeric' (from Maharashtra) and 'Nizamabad Bulb' (from Andhra Pradesh).