Turmeric is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant that requires temperatures between 20 and 30 °C and high annual rainfall to thrive. Turmeric has been used in Asia for centuries and is a major part of Ayurveda, Siddha medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, Unani, and the animistic rituals of Austronesian peoples. It was first used as a dye, and then later for its supposed properties in folk medicine.
Turmeric is widely used in cooking and gives Indian curry its flavor and yellow color. It is one of the key ingredients in many Asian dishes, imparting a mustard-like, earthy aroma and pungent, slightly bitter flavor to foods. It is used mostly in savory dishes, but also is used in some sweet dishes, such as the cake sfouf.
Turmeric contains a natural compound called curcumin, which has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin has many biological activities, not all of which are understood, and is rich in phytonutrients that may protect the body by neutralizing free radicals and shielding the cells from damage. Diets rich in plant-based foods are associated with prevention of medical conditions such as cancer and heart disease. However, one challenge of turmeric is that curcumin and other active ingredients are not easily absorbed by the body.
