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{{short description|Plant used as spice }}
{{About|the plant and rhizome used as a spice||}}
{{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.]]
| synonyms = ''Curcuma domestica'' <small>Valeton</small>
}}
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'''Turmeric''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|ɜːr|m|ər|ɪ|k|,_|ˈ|tj|uː|-}}), or '''''Curcuma longa''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɜːr|k|j|ʊ|m|ə|_|ˈ|l|ɒ|ŋ|ɡ|ə}}), 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.
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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]].
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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. Curcumin, a bright yellow chemical produced by the turmeric plant, is approved as a [[food additive]] by the [[World Health Organization]], [[European Parliament]], and United States [[Food and Drug Administration]]. Turmeric [[Dietary supplement|supplements]] have been an increasing cause of [[herb-induced liver injury]], leading to government regulation.
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[[File:Curcuma longa - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-199.jpg|thumb|Botanical view of ''Curcuma longa'']]
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==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.
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==History==
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 [[traditional medicine|folk medicine]].
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In India, it spread with Hinduism and Buddhism, as the yellow dye is used to color the robes of monks and priests.
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In [[Island 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 *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.
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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. 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 couldn't 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]].
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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. It was noted as a dye plant in the [[Assyria]]ns' Cuneiform medical texts from [[Ashurbanipal]]’s library at Nineveh from 7th century BCE. In [[Medieval Europe]], turmeric was called "Indian [[saffron]]."
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==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"). The Latin specific epithet ''longa'' means long.
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==Description==
Turmeric is a [[Perennial plant|perennial]] [[herbaceous plant]] that reaches up to {{convert|1|m|ftin|abbr=on}} tall. It has highly branched, yellow to orange, cylindrical, aromatic rhizomes.
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The leaves are [[Phyllotaxis#Leaf arrangement|alternate]] and arranged in two rows. They are divided into leaf sheath, [[Petiole (botany)|petiole]], and leaf blade. 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.
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===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.
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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.
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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}}.
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{{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
}}
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==Phytochemistry==
[[File:curcuminKeto.svg|right|frame|Curcumin [[Ketone|keto]] form]]
[[File:curcumin.svg|right|frame|Curcumin [[enol]] form]]
Turmeric powder is about 60&ndash;70% [[carbohydrates]], 6&ndash;13% water, 6&ndash;8% [[protein]], 5&ndash;10% [[fat]], 3&ndash;7% [[dietary minerals]], 3&ndash;7% [[essential oil]]s, 2&ndash;7% [[dietary fiber]], and 1&ndash;6% [[curcuminoid]]s. The golden yellow color of turmeric is due to curcumin.
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[[Phytochemistry|Phytochemical]] components of turmeric include [[diarylheptanoid]]s, a class including numerous curcuminoids, such as [[curcumin]], [[demethoxycurcumin]], and [[bisdemethoxycurcumin]]. Curcumin constitutes up to 3.14% of assayed commercial samples of turmeric powder (the average was 1.51%); curry powder contains much less (an average of 0.29%). Some 34 essential oils are present in turmeric, among which [[turmerone]], [[germacrone]], atlantone, and [[zingiberene]] are major constituents.
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===Culinary===
Turmeric 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 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''). Most turmeric is used in the form of [[rhizome]] powder to impart a golden yellow color. 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. Although typically used in its dried, powdered form, turmeric also is used fresh, like ginger.
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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 ''[[bánh xèo]]'', ''bánh khọt'', and ''[[mì Quảng]]''. The staple [[Cambodian cuisine|Cambodian]] curry paste, ''[[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 ''[[rendang]]'', ''[[sate padang]]'', and many other varieties. In the [[Philippines]], turmeric is used in the preparation and cooking of ''[[kuning]]'', [[Satay|''satti'']], and some variants of [[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. Turmeric is used in a hot drink called "turmeric [[latte]]" or "golden milk" that is made with milk, frequently [[coconut milk]]. The turmeric milk drink known as ''haldī dūdh'' (''haldī'' [{{lang|hi|हलदी}}] means turmeric in [[Hindi]]) is a traditional Indian recipe. Sold in the US and UK, the drink known as "golden milk" uses nondairy milk and sweetener, and sometimes black pepper after the traditional recipe (which may also use ghee).
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Turmeric is approved for use as a [[food color]], assigned the code [[E number|E100]]. The [[oleoresin]] is used for oil-containing products.
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In combination with [[annatto]] (E160b), turmeric has been used to color numerous food products. 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 much cheaper replacement for [[saffron]].
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{{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
}}
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===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 turmeric herbal teas, or other forms taken by mouth, on the basis of their long-standing traditional use, could be used to relieve mild digestive problems, such as feelings of fullness and [[flatulence]].
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Turmeric grows wild in the forests of South and Southeast Asia, where it is collected for use in classical Indian medicine (Siddha or Ayurveda). 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.
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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''. In many Hindu communities, turmeric paste is applied to the bride and groom as part of pre-wedding festivities known as the haldi ceremony.
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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]]. 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]]}}. [[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. [[Native Hawaiians]] who introduced it to [[Hawaii]] ({{langx|haw|{{okina}}ōlena}}) make a bright yellow dye out of it.
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===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, ''Curcumapapier'', is paper steeped in a [[tincture]] of turmeric and allowed to dry. It is used in [[chemical analysis]] as an [[pH indicator|indicator]] for [[acidity]] and [[alkalinity]]. 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.
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==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]]. 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]]. Lead detection in turmeric products led to [[product recall|recalls]] across the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom through 2016.
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[[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. 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.
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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.
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==Medical research==
{{see also|Curcumin|label 1=Curcumin}}
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Turmeric and curcumin have been studied in numerous [[clinical trial]]s for various human diseases and conditions, with no high-quality evidence of any anti-disease effect or health benefit. There is no scientific evidence that curcumin reduces [[inflammation]], {{as of | 2020| lc=yes}}. There is weak evidence that turmeric extracts may be beneficial for relieving symptoms of knee [[osteoarthritis]], as well as for reducing pain and muscle damage following physical exercise. There is good evidence that turmeric is an allergen.
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Although turmeric is of low [[bioavailability]], some supplements boost potency via a variety of preparation techniques. Turmeric supplements are hepatotoxic and have caused a recorded rise in incidence of [[herb-induced liver injury]]. In Italy, the government has banned any claims of turmeric health benefits and mandated warning for turmeric-based supplements.
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==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=20em|small=yes}}
* ''[[Alpinia zerumbet]]''
* ''[[Curcuma xanthorrhiza]]''
* ''[[Curcuma zedoaria]]''
* [[Domesticated plants and animals of Austronesia]]
* ''[[Etlingera elatior]]''
* ''[[Kaempferia galanga]]''
{{div col end}}
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==External links==
* {{wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Cookbook-inline}}
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{{Herbs & spices}}
{{Transient receptor potential channel modulators}}
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[[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:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]
[[Category:Austronesian agriculture]]
{{二次利用|date=24 May 2025, at 14:58}}
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