View source for Turmeric

{{short description|Plant used as spice }}
{{About|the plant and rhizome used as a spice||}}
{{redirect|Haridra|the river in India|Haridra River}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{speciesbox
| image = Turmeric inflorescence.jpg
| image_caption = [[Inflorescence]] of ''Curcuma longa''
| image2 = Curcuma longa roots.jpg
| image2_caption = Turmeric rhizome and powder
| image2_alt = Photograph of knobby brown rhizome and orange powder
| genus = Curcuma
| species = longa
| authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|L.]]<ref name="Kew">{{cite POWO|title=''Curcuma longa'' L.|id=796451-1 |access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref>
| synonyms = ''Curcuma domestica'' <small>Valeton</small>
}}

'''Turmeric''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|ɜːr|m|ər|ɪ|k|,_|ˈ|tj|uː|-}}),<ref>{{cite Dictionary.com|turmeric}}</ref><ref name="merriam-webster">{{cite Merriam-Webster|turmeric}}</ref> or '''''Curcuma longa''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɜːr|k|j|ʊ|m|ə|_|ˈ|l|ɒ|ŋ|ɡ|ə}}),<ref name="DictionaryCurcuma">{{Dictionary.com|curcuma}}</ref><ref>{{Cite Merriam-Webster|longa}}</ref> is a [[flowering plant]] in the [[ginger]] family [[Zingiberaceae]]. It is a [[perennial]], [[rhizomatous]], [[herbaceous plant]] native to the [[Indian subcontinent]] and [[Southeast Asia]] that requires temperatures between {{cvt|20|and|30|C}} and high [[Annual rainfall in india|annual rainfall]] to thrive. Plants are gathered each year for their [[rhizome]]s, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption or [[dye]]ing.<ref name="pubchem">{{pubchem|969516|Curcumin}}</ref>

The rhizomes can be used fresh, but they are often boiled in water and dried, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow shelf-stable spice powder commonly used as a [[food coloring#Natural food dyes|coloring]] and flavoring agent in many [[Asian cuisine]]s, especially for [[Curry|curries]] ([[curry powder]]). Turmeric powder has a warm, bitter, [[black pepper]]-like flavor and earthy, [[mustard plant|mustard]]-like [[aroma]].<ref name="drugs"/>

Although long used in [[Ayurvedic medicine]], there is no [[evidence-based medicine|high-quality clinical evidence]] that consuming turmeric or the principal turmeric constituent, [[curcumin]], is effective for treating any disease.<ref name="nelson">{{cite journal |last1=Nelson |first1=KM |last2=Dahlin |first2=JL |last3=Bisson |first3=J |last4=Graham |first4=J |last5=Pauli |first5=GF |last6=Walters |first6=MA |display-authors=3 |year=2017 |title=The Essential Medicinal Chemistry of Curcumin: Miniperspective |journal=Journal of Medicinal Chemistry |volume=60 |issue=5 |pages=1620–1637 |doi=10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00975 |pmc=5346970 |pmid=28074653 |bibcode=2017JMedC..60.1620N |quote=None of these studies [has] yet led to the approval of curcumin, curcuminoids, or turmeric as a therapeutic for any disease}}</ref><ref name="nccih">{{cite web |date=May 2020 |title=Turmeric |url=https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/turmeric |access-date=25 November 2020 |publisher=[[National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health]], US National Institutes of Health}}</ref> Curcumin, a bright yellow chemical produced by the turmeric plant, is approved as a [[food additive]] by the [[World Health Organization]], [[European Union]], and United States [[Food and Drug Administration]].<ref name="pubchem" /> Turmeric and its extract curcumin are generally safe but have recently been linked, especially in high-[[bioavailability]] forms, to rare cases of [[Immune disorder|immune-mediated]] [[Acute liver failure|acute liver injury]] that typically resolve after stopping use, though severe outcomes can occur if use continues.<ref>{{Citation |title=Turmeric |date=2012 |work=LiverTox: Clinical and Research Information on Drug-Induced Liver Injury |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK548561/ |access-date=2025-06-17 |place=Bethesda (MD) |publisher=National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases |pmid=31643876}}</ref><ref name="hepa" />

[[File:Curcuma longa - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-199.jpg|thumb|Botanical view of ''Curcuma longa'']]

==Origin and distribution==
The greatest diversity of ''[[Curcuma]]'' species by number alone is in [[India]], at around 40 to 45 species. [[Thailand]] has a comparable 30 to 40 species. Other countries in tropical Asia also have numerous wild species of ''Curcuma''. Recent studies have also shown that the taxonomy of ''C. longa'' is problematic, with only the specimens from South India being identifiable as ''C. longa''. The phylogeny, relationships, intraspecific and interspecific variation, and even identity of other species and cultivars in other parts of the world still need to be established and validated. Various species currently utilized and sold as "turmeric" in other parts of Asia have been shown to belong to several physically similar taxa, with overlapping local names.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Leong-Škornickova |first1=Jana |last2=Šida |first2=Otakar |last3=Wijesundara |first3=Sirtl |last4=Marhold |first4=Karol |title=On the identity of turmeric: the typification of ''Curcuma longa'' L. (Zingiberaceae) |journal= [[Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society]] |date=May 2008 |volume=157 |issue=1 |pages=37–46 |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8339.2008.00788.x|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name="Nair2013">{{cite book |last1=Nair |first1=K.P. Prabhakaran |title=The Agronomy and Economy of Turmeric and Ginger: The Invaluable Medicinal Spice Crops |date=2013 |publisher=Newnes |isbn=978-0-12-394824-3 |pages=7–10 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EMVI8Fy8VMC}}</ref>

==History==
Turmeric has been used in Asia for centuries and is a major part of [[Ayurveda]], [[Siddha medicine]], [[traditional Chinese medicine]], [[Unani]],<ref name=Chattopadhyay>{{cite journal |vauthors=Chattopadhyay I, Kaushik B, Uday B, Ranajit KB |title=Turmeric and curcumin: Biological actions and medicinal applications |journal=Current Science |year=2004 |volume=87 |issue=1 |pages=44–53 |url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/5196/1/306.pdf |access-date=16 March 2013 |issn=0011-3891 }}</ref> and the animistic rituals of [[Austronesian peoples]].<ref name="KikusawaReid"/><ref name="McClatchey1993"/> It was first used as a [[dye]], and then later for its supposed properties in [[traditional medicine|folk medicine]].<ref name=nelson/><ref name=nccih/>

In India, it spread with Hinduism and Buddhism, as the yellow dye is used to color the robes of monks and priests.<ref name="pickersgill">{{cite book |editor1-last=Prance |editor1-first=Ghillean |editor2-last=Nesbitt |editor2-first=Mark |last1=Pickersgill |first1=Barbara |author-link=Barbara Pickersgill |date=2005 |title=The Cultural History of Plants |publisher=Routledge |page=170 |isbn=0-415-92746-3}}</ref>

In [[Maritime Southeast Asia]], there is linguistic and circumstantial evidence of the ancient use of turmeric among the [[Austronesian peoples]] soon after dispersal from [[Taiwan]] (starting {{circa|3000 BCE}}), before contact with India. In [[Indonesia]] and the [[Philippines]], turmeric was used for food, dyeing textiles, medicine, as well as body painting. It was commonly an important ingredient in various animistic rituals. Kikusawa and Reid (2007) have concluded that {{lang|poz|proto=yes|*kunij}}, the oldest reconstructed [[Proto-Malayo-Polynesian]] form for "turmeric" in the Austronesian languages, is primarily associated with the importance of its use as a dye. Other members of the genus ''Curcuma'' native to Southeast Asia (like ''[[Curcuma zedoaria]]'') were also used for food and spice, but not as dyes.<ref name="KikusawaReid"/>

Turmeric (along with ''[[Curcuma zedoaria]]'') was also spread with the [[Lapita people]] of the [[Austronesian expansion]] into [[Oceania]]. Turmeric can only be propagated with rhizomes, thus its pre-contact distribution into the [[Pacific Islands]] can only be via human introduction. The populations in [[Micronesia]], [[Island Melanesia]], and [[Polynesia]] (including as far as [[Hawaii]] and [[Easter Island]]) use turmeric widely for both food and dye before European contact.<ref name="KikusawaReid">{{cite book|first1=Ritsuko|last1=Kikusawa|first2=Lawrence A.|last2=Reid|editor1-first=Jeff|editor1-last=Siegel|editor2-first=John|editor2-last=Lynch|editor3-first=Diana|editor3-last=Eades|title=Language Description, History and Development: Linguistic indulgence in memory of Terry Crowley|chapter=Proto who utilized turmeric, and how?|publisher=John Benjamins |year=2007|pages=339–352|isbn=978-90-272-9294-0|chapter-url=https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/33035/A67.2007.pdf|access-date=18 January 2019|archive-date=25 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125193557/https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/33035/A67.2007.pdf}}</ref><ref name="McClatchey1993">{{cite journal |last1=McClatchey |first1=W. |title=Traditional use of ''Curcuma longa'' (Zingiberaceae) in Rotuma |journal=Economic Botany |year=1993 |volume=47 |issue=3 |pages=291–296 |doi=10.1007/bf02862297|bibcode=1993EcBot..47..291M |s2cid=20513984 }}</ref><ref name="pickersgill"/> In [[Micronesia]], it was an important trade item in the ''[[sawei]]'' maritime exchange between [[Yap]] and further [[atoll]]s in the [[Caroline Islands|Carolines]], where it could not grow. In some smaller islands, the dye was extracted from the leaves, since the rhizomes remained too small in sandy soils. It was also carried by the Austronesian migrations to [[Madagascar]].<ref name="KikusawaReid"/>

Turmeric was found in [[Farmana]], dating to between 2600 and 2200 BCE, and in a merchant's tomb in [[Megiddo, Israel]], dating from the second millennium BCE.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Scott|first1=Ashley|last2=Power|first2=Robert C.|last3=Altmann-Wendling|first3=Victoria|last4=Artzy|first4=Michal|last5=Martin|first5=Mario A. S.|last6=Eisenmann|first6=Stefanie|last7=Hagan|first7=Richard|last8=Salazar-García|first8=Domingo C.|last9=Salmon|first9=Yossi|last10=Yegorov|first10=Dmitry|last11=Milevski|first11=Ianir|display-authors=3|date=2020-12-17|title=Exotic foods reveal contact between South Asia and the Near East during the second millennium BCE|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=118|issue=2|article-number=e2014956117|language=en|doi=10.1073/pnas.2014956117|pmid=33419922|pmc=7812755|issn=0027-8424|hdl=10550/76877|hdl-access=free|doi-access=free |bibcode=2021PNAS..11814956S }}</ref> It was noted as a dye plant in the [[Assyria]]ns' cuneiform medical texts from [[Ashurbanipal]]'s library at Nineveh from 7th century BCE.<ref name="pickersgill"/> In [[Medieval Europe]], turmeric was called "Indian [[saffron]]."<ref name="pickersgill"/>

==Etymology==
The name possibly derives from [[Middle English]] or Early Modern English as {{lang|enm|turmeryte}} or {{lang|enm|tarmaret}}. It may be of [[Latin]] origin, {{lang|la|terra merita}} ("deserved earth").<ref name="DictionaryCurcuma"/> The Latin specific epithet {{lang|la|longa}} means long.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Curcuma longa |website=Plant Finder |url=https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=287580 |access-date=2023-07-11 |publisher=Missouri Botanical Garden}}</ref>

==Description==
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2021}}
Turmeric is a [[Perennial plant|perennial]] [[herbaceous plant]] that reaches up to {{convert|1|m|ftin|abbr=on}} tall.<ref name=Kew/> It has highly branched, yellow to orange, cylindrical, aromatic rhizomes.<ref name=Kew/>

The leaves are [[Phyllotaxis#Leaf arrangement|alternate]] and arranged in two rows. They are divided into leaf sheath, [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]], and leaf blade.<ref name=Kew/> From the leaf sheaths, a false stem is formed. The petiole is {{convert|50|to(-)|115|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. The simple leaf blades are usually {{convert|76 |to(-)|115|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and rarely up to {{convert|230|cm|ftin|abbr=on}}. They have a width of {{convert|38|to|45|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} and are oblong to elliptical, narrowing at the tip.<ref name=Kew/>

===Inflorescence, flower, and fruit===
At the top of the inflorescence, stem bracts are present on which no flowers occur; these are white to green and sometimes tinged reddish-purple, and the upper ends are tapered.<ref name=":1">{{efloras|2|200028370|Curcuma longa|volume=24 |last1=Wu |first1=Delin |last2=Larsen |first2=Kai | access-date= 30 November 2013}}</ref>

The [[Hermaphrodite (botany)|hermaphrodite]] flowers are [[zygomorphic]] and threefold. The three [[sepal]]s are {{convert|0.8|to|1.2|cm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}} long, fused, and white, and have fluffy hairs; the three [[Sepal|calyx]] teeth are unequal. The three bright-yellow [[petal]]s are fused into a [[Corolla (flower)|corolla]] tube up to {{convert|3|cm|in|frac=4|abbr=on}} long. The three corolla lobes have a length of {{convert|1.0|to(-)|1.5|cm|in|frac=8|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} and are triangular with soft-spiny upper ends. While the average corolla lobe is larger than the two lateral, only the median [[stamen]] of the inner circle is fertile. The dust bag is spurred at its base. All other stamens are converted to [[staminode]]s. The outer staminodes are shorter than the [[Labellum (botany)|labellum]]. The labellum is yellowish, with a yellow ribbon in its center and it is [[obovate]], with a length from {{convert|1.2|to|2.0|cm|in|frac=8|abbr=on|sigfig=2}}. Three [[carpels]] are under a constant, trilobed ovary adherent, which is sparsely hairy. The fruit capsule opens with three compartments.<ref name= Siewek>{{cite book|last= Siewek|first= F |title=Exotische Gewürze Herkunft Verwendung Inhaltsstoffe |publisher= Springer-Verlag| year=2013|page= 72|isbn=978-3-0348-5239-5|language=de| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G3KcBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA72}}</ref><ref name=HKRS>{{cite book| editor-first1= Rudolf | editor-last1= Hänsel| editor-first2= Konstantin | editor-last2= Keller| editor-first3= Horst | editor-last3= Rimpler| editor-first4= Gerhard | editor-last4= Schneider| title=Drogen A-D| publisher=Springer-Verlag| year=2013|page= 1085| isbn= 978-3-642-58087-1 |language= de| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=q5WoBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA1085}}</ref>

In [[East Asia]], the flowering time is usually in August. Terminally on the false stem is an [[inflorescence]] stem, {{convert|12|to|20|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} long, containing many flowers. The [[bract]]s are light green and ovate to oblong with a blunt upper end with a length of {{convert|3|to|5|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}}.<ref name=":1" />

{{Gallery| align=center
| File:Naturalis Biodiversity Center - L.0939330 - Bernecker, A. - Curcuma domestica Valeton - Artwork.jpeg
 |''Curcuma domestica'' Valeton, a drawing by A. Bernecker around 1860
| File:Turmeric_farm.jpg
 |Turmeric farm on [[Deccan Plateau]]
| File:Turmeric Flower Maharashtra India.jpg
 |Turmeric flower
}}

==Phytochemistry==
[[File:curcuminKeto.svg|right|frame|Curcumin [[Ketone|keto]] form]]
[[File:curcumin.svg|right|frame|Curcumin [[enol]] form]]
Turmeric powder is about 67% [[carbohydrates]], 12% water, 9% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], 3% [[fat]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/172231/nutrients}}</ref>, 3–7% [[dietary minerals]], 3–7% [[essential oil]]s, 22% [[dietary fiber]], and 1–6% [[curcuminoid]]s.<ref name=nelson/>{{Failed verification|reason=Oil or mineral content is not mentioned.|date=April 2026}} The golden yellow color of turmeric is due to curcumin.<ref name=pubchem/>

[[Phytochemistry|Phytochemical]] components of turmeric include [[diarylheptanoid]]s, a class including numerous curcuminoids, such as [[curcumin]], [[demethoxycurcumin]], and [[bisdemethoxycurcumin]].<ref name=nelson/><ref name=pubchem/> Curcumin constitutes an average of 3.14% by weight of assayed commercial samples of turmeric powder; curry powder contains much less (an average of 0.29%).<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Tayyem RF, Heath DD, Al-Delaimy WK, Rock CL |title= Curcumin content of turmeric and curry powders |journal= Nutr Cancer |volume= 55|issue=2 | pages= 126–131 |year= 2006 |pmid=17044766 |doi= 10.1207/s15327914nc5502_2|s2cid= 12581076 }}</ref> Some 34 essential oils are present in turmeric, among which [[turmerone]], [[germacrone]], atlantone, and [[zingiberene]] are major constituents.<ref>{{cite journal|pmc=4142718|year=2014|last1=Hong|first1=SL|title=Essential Oil Content of the Rhizome of ''Curcuma purpurascens'' Bl. (Temu Tis) and Its Antiproliferative Effect on Selected Human Carcinoma Cell Lines|journal=The Scientific World Journal|volume=2014|pages=1–7|last2=Lee|first2=G. S|last3=Syed Abdul Rahman|first3=SN|last4=Ahmed Hamdi|first4=OA|last5=Awang|first5=K|last6=Aznam Nugroho|first6=N|last7=Abd Malek|first7=SN|display-authors=3|doi=10.1155/2014/397430|pmid=25177723|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|pmid=24311554|year=2014|last1=Hu|first1=Y|title=GC-MS combined with chemometric techniques for the quality control and original discrimination of ''Curcumae longae'' rhizome: Analysis of essential oils|journal=Journal of Separation Science|volume=37|issue=4|pages=404–11|last2=Kong|first2=W|last3=Yang|first3=X|last4=Xie|first4=L|last5=Wen|first5=J|last6=Yang|first6=M|display-authors=3|doi=10.1002/jssc.201301102}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|pmid=14558784|year=2003|last1=Braga|first1=ME|title=Comparison of yield, composition, and antioxidant activity of turmeric (''Curcuma longa'' L.) extracts obtained using various techniques|journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry|volume=51|issue=22|pages=6604–11|last2=Leal|first2=PF|last3=Carvalho|first3=JE|last4=Meireles|first4=MA |doi=10.1021/jf0345550 |bibcode=2003JAFC...51.6604B }}</ref>

==Uses==

===Culinary===
{{more citations needed|section|date=June 2017}}
Turmeric is one of the key ingredients in many Asian dishes, imparting a mustard-like, earthy aroma and pungent, slightly bitter flavor to foods.<ref name="drugs">{{cite web |date=6 May 2025 |title=Turmeric |url=https://www.drugs.com/npc/turmeric.html |access-date=16 May 2025 |publisher=[[Drugs.com]]}}</ref> It is used mostly in savory dishes, but also is used in some sweet dishes, such as the Lebanese cake ''[[sfouf]]''. In India, turmeric leaf is used to prepare special sweet dishes, ''[[patoleo]]'', by layering rice flour and [[coconut]]-[[jaggery]] mixture on the leaf, then closing and steaming it in a special utensil (''chondrõ'').<ref name="tradition">{{cite news |url = http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib:LowLevelEntityToPrint_TOI&Type=text/html&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOIGO/2008/08/16&ID=Ar00401 |title = A tradition wrapped in leaves |last = Pereira Kamat |first = M. |location = [[Goa]], [[India]] |date = 16 August 2008 |newspaper = [[The Times of India]] |access-date = 16 August 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181009173035/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getFiles.asp?Style=OliveXLib%3ALowLevelEntityToPrint_TOI&Type=text%2Fhtml&Locale=english-skin-custom&Path=TOIGO%2F2008%2F08%2F16&ID=Ar00401 |archive-date = 9 October 2018 }}</ref> 

Most turmeric is used in the form of [[rhizome]] powder to impart a golden yellow color.<ref name=drugs/> It is used in many products such as canned beverages, baked products, dairy products, ice cream, yogurt, yellow cakes, orange juice, biscuits, popcorn, cereals and sauces. It is a principal ingredient in curry powders.<ref name=drugs/><ref name=E100/> Although typically used in its dried, powdered form, turmeric also is used fresh, like ginger.<ref name=E100/>

Turmeric is used widely as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. Various [[Iranian cuisine|Iranian]] ''[[khoresh]]'' recipes begin with onions [[Caramelization|caramelized]] in oil and turmeric. The [[Moroccan cuisine|Moroccan]] spice mix [[ras el hanout]] typically includes turmeric. In South Africa, turmeric is used to give boiled white rice a golden color, known as ''geelrys'' (yellow rice) traditionally served with [[bobotie]]. In [[Vietnamese cuisine]], turmeric powder is used to color and enhance the flavors of certain dishes, such as {{lang|vi|[[bánh xèo]]}}, {{lang|vi|bánh khọt}}, and {{lang|vi|[[mì Quảng]]}}. The staple [[Cambodian cuisine|Cambodian]] curry paste, {{lang|km-Latn|[[kroeung]]}}, used in many dishes, including [[fish amok]], typically contains fresh turmeric. In [[Indonesia]], turmeric leaves are used for [[Minangkabau people|Minang]] or [[Padang cuisine|Padang]] curry base of [[Sumatra]], such as {{lang|ms|[[rendang]]}}, {{lang|ms|[[sate padang]]}}, and many other varieties. In the [[Philippines]], turmeric is used in the preparation and cooking of {{lang|tl|[[kuning]]}}, {{lang|tl|[[Satay|satti]]}}, and some variants of {{lang|tl|[[Philippine adobo|adobo]]}}. In [[Thailand]], fresh turmeric rhizomes are used widely in many dishes, in particular in the southern [[Thai cuisine]], such as yellow curry and turmeric soup.

In a traditional Indian beverage known as {{lang|hi-Latn|haldī dūdh}} ({{lang|hi|हल्दी दूध}}),{{verify inline|reason=Hindi text (also that the Latin text given is in fact Hindi)|date=April 2026}} [[turmeric juice]] or dried powder is added to heated cow milk or a [[plant milk]] with black pepper and [[ghee]], then served in some cafes as {{vanchor|Golden milk|text=''golden milk''}} (also called ''golden [[latte]]'').<ref name="imtiaz">{{Cite news|last=Imtiaz|first=Sabia|date=11 May 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=7 January 2018|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/may/11/turmeric-latte-golden-milk-cult-following-alternative-coffee|title=Turmeric latte: the 'golden milk' with a cult following}}</ref>{{update source|date=March 2026}}

Turmeric is approved for use in the European Union and other countries as a [[food color]], assigned the code [[E number|E100]].<ref name=pubchem/><ref name=E100>{{cite web| url= http://www.ukfoodguide.net/e100.htm |title= E100: Curcumin| website= UKfoodguide.net| access-date= 14 April 2017 | url-status= usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707213618/http://www.ukfoodguide.net/e100.htm |archive-date= 7 July 2017}}</ref> Turmeric is used to give a yellow color to some prepared [[Mustard (condiment)|mustards]], canned chicken [[broth]]s, and other foods{{mdash}}often as a less-expensive substitute for [[saffron]].<ref name=E100/><ref>{{cite book| author= NIIR Board of Consultants & Engineers|title=The Complete Book on Spices & Condiments (with Cultivation, Processing & Uses)|date=2006|publisher=Asia Pacific Business Press| location= Delhi| isbn= 978-81-7833-038-9 |pages=188–191| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=039ZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA6}}</ref> For oil-containing products, the turmeric [[oleoresin]] is used.<ref name=pubchem/>

{{Gallery| align= center
| File:TurmericMyanmar2.jpg
 |Cleaning turmeric [[rhizome]]s with boiling water
| File:TurmericMyanmar3.jpg
 |Drying turmeric rhizomes
| File:Turmeric-powder.jpg
 |Turmeric powder
| File:ओल्या हळदीची भाजी.jpg
 |Cooked vegetables with turmeric as one of its key ingredients, referred to as ''Sabzi'', a dish from India
| File:Ganghwang-bap.jpg
 |''Ganghwang-[[bap (food)|bap]]'' (turmeric rice)
| File:Steamed Goan rice and jaggery cakes.jpg
 |''[[Patoleo]]'' – sweet [[rice cake]]s steamed in turmeric leaves consisting of a filling of coconut and coconut palm sugar prepared in [[Goan Catholic]] style
}}

===Traditional uses===
[[File:Khandoba temple Pune.jpg|thumb|[[Khandoba]]'s newer temple in [[Jejuri]], where devotees shower turmeric powder (''bhandara'') on each other]]
In 2019, the [[European Medicines Agency]] concluded that although there was insufficient scientific evidence of efficacy, turmeric herbal [[Turmeric tea|teas]], or other forms taken by mouth, could be used to relieve mild digestive problems, such as feelings of fullness and [[flatulence]], on the basis of their long-standing traditional use.<ref>{{Cite web|date=14 February 2019|title= ''Curcuma longa'' L., rhizoma|url=https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/curcumae-longae-rhizoma|access-date=19 November 2020|publisher=European Medicines Agency}}</ref>

Turmeric grows wild in the forests of South and Southeast Asia, where it is collected for use in classical Indian medicine (Siddha or Ayurveda).<ref name=nelson/> In Eastern India, the plant is used as one of the nine components of {{Transliteration|sa|nabapatrika}} along with young [[plantain (cooking)|plantain]] or banana plant, [[taro]] leaves, [[barley]] ({{Transliteration|sa|jayanti}}), [[Aegle marmelos|wood apple]] ({{Transliteration|sa|bilva}}), [[pomegranate]] ({{Transliteration|sa|darimba}}), ''[[Saraca indica]]'', {{Transliteration|sa|manaka}} (''[[Arum]]''), or {{Transliteration|sa|manakochu}}, and rice paddy. The Haldi ceremony called {{Transliteration|bn|[[gaye holud]]}} in Bengal (literally "yellow on the body") is a ceremony observed during wedding celebrations of people of Indian culture all throughout the Indian subcontinent.<ref>{{cite news |first=Maheen |last=Khan| title =A Bangladeshi Wedding Journal – Gaye Holud: Pre-Wedding Ceremony |newspaper =The Daily Star |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/a-bangladeshi-wedding-journal-49457 | date= 11 November 2014 | access-date= 22 February 2017}}</ref>

In [[Tamil Nadu]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]], as a part of the Tamil–Telugu marriage ritual, a dried turmeric tuber tied with a string is used to create a [[Thali necklace]]. In western and coastal India, during weddings of the [[Marathi people|Marathi]] and [[Konkani people]], [[Kannada people|Kannada]] [[Brahmins]], turmeric tubers are tied with strings by the couple to their wrists during a ceremony, ''Kankana Bandhana''.<ref name=maha>{{cite book|last1= Singh K|first1=S |last2= Bhanu| first2= BV |title=People of India: Maharashtra, Volume 1| year= 2004| publisher= Popular Prakashan |isbn= 978-81-7991-100-6 | page= 487}}</ref> In many Hindu communities, turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groom as part of pre-wedding festivities known as the haldi ceremony.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramadurai |first=Charukesi |title=India's original "turmeric latte" |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200623-indias-original-turmeric-latte |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=www.bbc.com |date=24 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

Turmeric makes a poor fabric [[dye]], as it is not [[Colour fastness|light fast]], but is commonly used in Indian clothing, such as [[sari]]s and [[Kasaya (clothing)|Buddhist monks' robes]].<ref name="merriam-webster"/> During the late [[Edo period]] (1603–1867), turmeric was used to dilute or substitute more expensive [[safflower]] dyestuff in the production of {{Transliteration|ja|[[shibori#Beni itajime|beni itajime shibori]]}}.<ref name="Beni itajime">{{cite journal |last1=Arai |first1=Masanao |last2=Iwamoto Wada |first2=Yoshiko |date=2010 |title=BENI ITAJIME: CARVED BOARD CLAMP RESIST DYEING IN RED |url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=tsaconf |format=PDF |journal=Textile Society of America Symposium Proceedings |publisher=University of Nebraska |location=Lincoln |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102105415/https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=tsaconf |archive-date=2 November 2021}}</ref>{{rp|1}} [[Friedrich Ratzel]] reported in ''The History of Mankind'' during 1896, that in Micronesia, turmeric powder was applied for embellishment of body, clothing, utensils, and ceremonial uses.<ref>{{cite book|last= Ratzel| first= Friedrich|title=The History of Mankind|publisher=MacMillan| place= London| year=1896|url=https://archive.org/details/historymankind03ratzgoog}}</ref> [[Native Hawaiians]] who introduced it to [[Hawaii]] ({{langx|haw|{{okina}}ōlena}}) make a bright yellow dye out of it.<ref>{{cite web|title=Making dye from native and canoe plants|publisher=Mānoa Heritage Centre|date=27 May 2020|first=Zoe |last=Welch|url=https://www.manoaheritagecenter.org/2020/05/kaaipu-kakou-9/|access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref>

===Indicator===
[[File:TurmericAcidBase.jpg|thumb|Turmeric dispersed in water is yellow under acid and red under alkaline conditions]]
Turmeric paper, also called curcuma paper or in German literature {{lang|de|curcumapapier}}, is paper steeped in a [[tincture]] of turmeric and allowed to dry. It is used in [[chemical analysis]] as a [[pH indicator]].<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Ravindran|editor1-first=P. N.|title=The genus Curcuma|date=2007|publisher=Taylor & Francis|location=Boca Raton, FL|page=244|isbn=978-1-4200-0632-2}}</ref> The paper is yellow in acidic and [[neutral solution]]s and turns brown to reddish-brown in alkaline solutions, with transition between pH of 7.4 and 9.2.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4jjhnbu8ytEC&q=turmeric+paper+ph&pg=PA208| page =208| last1= Berger |first1= S| last2= Sicker| first2= D|publisher=Wiley & Sons| title= Classics in Spectroscopy |date=2009|isbn=978-3-527-32516-0}}</ref>

==Adulteration==
As turmeric and other spices are commonly sold by weight, the potential exists for powders of toxic, cheaper agents with a similar color to be added, such as [[lead(II,IV) oxide]] ("red lead"). These additives give turmeric an orange-red color instead of its native gold-yellow, and such conditions led the US [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) to issue import alerts from 2013 to 2019 on turmeric originating in [[India]] and [[Bangladesh]].<ref name="cowell">{{cite journal |vauthors=Cowell W, Ireland T, Vorhees D, Heiger-Bernays W |title=Ground Turmeric as a Source of Lead Exposure in the United States |journal=Public Health Reports |volume=132 |issue=3 |pages=289–293 |date=2017 |pmid=28358991 |pmc=5415259 |doi=10.1177/0033354917700109}}</ref> Imported into the United States in 2014 were approximately {{convert|12|e6lb|e6kg|abbr=off|order=flip}} of turmeric, some of which was used for [[food coloring]], [[traditional medicine]], or [[dietary supplement]].<ref name=cowell/> Lead detection in turmeric products led to [[product recall|recalls]] across the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom through 2016.<ref name=cowell/>

[[Lead chromate]], a bright yellow chemical compound, was found as an adulterant of turmeric in Bangladesh, where turmeric is used commonly in foods and the contamination levels were up to 500 times higher than the national limit.<ref name="Forsyth">{{cite journal | last1=Forsyth | first1=Jenna E. | last2=Nurunnahar | first2=Syeda | last3=Islam | first3=Sheikh Shariful | last4=Baker | first4=Musa | last5=Yeasmin | first5=Dalia | last6=Islam | first6=M. Saiful | last7=Rahman | first7=Mahbubur | last8=Fendorf | first8=Scott | last9=Ardoin | first9=Nicole M. | last10=Winch | first10=Peter J. | last11=Luby | first11=Stephen P. |display-authors=3| title=Turmeric means "yellow" in Bengali: Lead chromate pigments added to turmeric threaten public health across Bangladesh | journal=Environmental Research | volume=179 | issue=Pt A | year=2019 | issn=0013-9351 | doi=10.1016/j.envres.2019.108722 | article-number=108722|pmid=31550596| bibcode=2019ER....17908722F | doi-access=free }}</ref> Researchers identified a chain of sources adulterating the turmeric with lead chromate: from farmers to merchants selling low-grade turmeric roots to "polishers" who added lead chromate for yellow color enhancement, to [[wholesale]]rs for market distribution, all unaware of the potential consequences of lead toxicity.<ref name=Forsyth/>

Another common adulterant in turmeric, [[metanil yellow]] (also known as acid yellow 36), is considered by the [[Great Britain|British]] [[Food Standards Agency]] as an illegal [[dye]] for use in foods.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/guidance/chemicals-in-food-safety-controls|title=Producing and distributing food – guidance: Chemicals in food: safety controls; Sudan dyes and industrial dyes not permitted in food|publisher= Government of the United Kingdom|date=8 October 2012|access-date=12 December 2015}}</ref>

==Medical research==
{{see also|Curcumin}}

Turmeric and curcumin have been studied in various, low-quality [[clinical trial]]s, with no good evidence of an anti-disease effect or health benefit.<ref name=nelson/><ref>{{cite journal|pmid=27533649|pmc=5003001|year=2016|last1=Daily|first1=JW|title=Efficacy of Turmeric Extracts and Curcumin for Alleviating the Symptoms of Joint Arthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials|journal=Journal of Medicinal Food|volume=19|issue=8|pages=717–29|last2=Yang|first2=M|last3=Park|first3=S| doi=10.1089/jmf.2016.3705}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|pmid=27213821|year=2016|last1=Vaughn|first1=A. R.|title=Effects of Turmeric (''Curcuma longa'') on Skin Health: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence|journal=Phytotherapy Research|volume=30|issue=8|pages=1243–64|last2=Branum|first2=A|last3=Sivamani|first3=RK|doi=10.1002/ptr.5640|s2cid=46429012}}</ref><ref name="white">{{cite journal |vauthors=White CM, Pasupuleti V, Roman YM, Li Y, Hernandez AV |display-authors=3|title=Oral turmeric/curcumin effects on inflammatory markers in chronic inflammatory diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials |journal=Pharmacological Research |volume=146 |article-number=104280 |date=August 2019 |pmid=31121255 |doi=10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104280 |s2cid=163166501|type=Meta-analysis|url= https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1043661818319236|url-access=subscription }}</ref> There is no scientific evidence that curcumin reduces [[inflammation]], {{as of|2019|lc=yes}}.<ref name=nelson/><ref name=white/> There is weak evidence that turmeric extracts may relieve symptoms of knee [[osteoarthritis]]<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Wang Z, Singh A, Jones G, Winzenberg T, Ding C, Chopra A, Das S, Danda D, Laslett L, Antony B |display-authors=3|title=Efficacy and Safety of Turmeric Extracts for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials |journal=Current Rheumatology Reports |volume=23 |issue=2 |article-number=11 |date=January 2021 |pmid=33511486 |doi=10.1007/s11926-020-00975-8 |s2cid=231724282 |url=https://eprints.utas.edu.au/37096/1/Turmeric%20Manuscript.SLK_clean.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526215752/https://eprints.utas.edu.au/37096/1/Turmeric%20Manuscript.SLK_clean.pdf|archive-date=May 26, 2023}}</ref> and lower muscle pain following physical exercise.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Suhett |first1=Lara Gomes |last2=de Miranda Monteiro Santos |first2=Rodrigo |last3=Silveira |first3=Brenda Kelly Souza |last4=Leal |first4=Arieta Carla Gualandi |last5=de Brito |first5=Alice Divina Melo |last6=de Novaes |first6=Juliana Farias |last7=Lucia |first7=Ceres Mattos Della |display-authors=3|date=2021 |title=Effects of curcumin supplementation on sport and physical exercise: a systematic review|journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition |volume=61 |issue=6 |pages=946–958 |doi=10.1080/10408398.2020.1749025 |issn=1549-7852 |pmid=32282223|s2cid=215759520 }}</ref>

Turmeric supplements are associated with rare but potentially serious liver injuries, particularly in [[Genetic predisposition|genetically susceptible]] individuals.<ref name=hepa>{{cite journal |vauthors=Philips CA, Theruvath AH |title=A comprehensive review on the hepatotoxicity of herbs used in the Indian (Ayush) systems of alternative medicine |journal=Medicine (Baltimore) |volume=103 |issue=16 |article-number=e37903 |date=April 2024 |pmid=38640296 |pmc=11029936 |doi=10.1097/MD.0000000000037903}}</ref>

==See also==
<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order & add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
* {{annotated link|Alpinia zerumbet|''Alpinia zerumbet''}}
* {{annotated link|Curcuma xanthorrhiza|''Curcuma xanthorrhiza''}}
* {{annotated link|Curcuma zedoaria|''Curcuma zedoaria''}}
* {{annotated link|Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia}}
* {{annotated link|Etlingera elatior|''Etlingera elatior''}}
* {{annotated link|Kaempferia galanga|''Kaempferia galanga''}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Cookbook-inline}}

{{Herbs & spices}}
{{Transient receptor potential channel modulators}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q42562}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Curcuma|longa]]
[[Category:Flora of tropical Asia]]
[[Category:Spices]]
[[Category:Rhizomatous plants]]
[[Category:Crops originating from India]]
[[Category:Food additives]]
[[Category:Food colorings]]
[[Category:Indian spices]]
[[Category:Plant dyes]]
[[Category:Plants described in 1753]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan spices]]
[[Category:Botanical taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Austronesian agriculture]]
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