Turmeric

Turmeric is one of the most commonly used condiments in the Indian sub-continent. Its scientific name is Curcuma longa, and taxonomically, it is placed in the Zingiberaceae family.

Taxonomy is the science of classifying plant and animal species according to their appearances, internal structures and formations. (However, nowadays taxonomy is not limited to just living organisms - inanimate objects, places, things, etc. can also be taxonomically classified based on some method or the other.)

In the Indian subcontinent, turmeric occupies the same central position, as an essential ingredient in food, as table salt. Turmeric imparts a yellow color to the preparation to which it is added, and also provides a distinctive mild flavor. This makes it eligible to be categorized as a spice as well.

Turmeric is used in most Indian recipes - be they vegetable preparations, curries (spicy preparations originally unique to Indian, Thai, and other South Asian food) of pulses (various types of dehydrated vegetable beans), a number of rice preparations, sweet dishes, and even non-vegetarian preparations.

Turmeric is rich in vitamins

Turmeric is a root crop. It is the root that is the most used of all the parts of the turmeric plant. The turmeric root is similar to a ginger root, except for the color, which varies from yellow to red.

The roots are boiled, dried, and ground for use as spice. The turmeric plant grows to a height of two to three feet and bears elongated leaves. These leaves smell like mango leaves, and have midribs and veins similar to those seen in bamboo and banana leaves. However, they are not as long as banana leaves.

Turmeric contains five to six percent of aromatic oil that has cucurmin as an active ingredient. It is rich in vitamin A, proteins, carbohydrates, and minerals.

Benefits of Turmeric >>