Turmeric

Turmeric ( Curcuma longa ) is an herbaceous plant from southern Asia whose rhizomes (roots), dried and most often reduced to powder, constitute an extremely popular spice.

Its great popularity in Asia is due as much to its undeniable taste qualities as to its ability to play a role as a food preservative. Long before the appearance of food additives, in India in particular, turmeric was used to preserve food, in the same way as the Inuit civilization which preserved its foodstuffs in salt.

Its color varies between yellow and orange and is very pronounced. It is linked to the presence of curcumin which is used today as a food coloring under the name E100. In older times, it was used, among other things, to give a sunny color to stoles and fabrics.

For around thirty years, turmeric has been the subject of numerous studies to evaluate its health benefits in an attempt to confirm the countless properties attributed to it in Ayurvedic medicine (traditional Indian medicine).