Turmeric

Turmeric

Turmeric — and especially its most active compound, curcumin — have many scientifically proven health benefits, such as the potential to improve heart health and prevent against Alzheimer’s and cancer. It’s a potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. It may also help improve symptoms of depression and arthritis. Turmeric is a flowering plant, Curcuma longa, of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking.

Family: Zingiberaceae
Order: Zingiberales
Species: C. longa
Genus: Curcuma
Kingdom: Plantae

Description

Turmeric is a flowering plant of the ginger family, the roots of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, that requires temperatures between 20 and 30 ℃ (68 and 86 °F) and a considerable amount of annual rainfall to thrive.

The rhizomes are used fresh or boiled in water and dried, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a coloring and flavoring agent in many Asian cuisines, especially for curries, as well as for dyeing, characteristics imparted by the principal turmeric constituent, curcumin. Turmeric powder has a warm, bitter, black pepper–like flavor and earthy, mustard-like aroma