Turmeric is an orangey, yellow-coloured spice that comes from the turmeric plant. It’s been used for thousands of years as both a cooking ingredient and a herb.
2 It’s the curcuminoids, also known as curcumins, that give turmeric its striking colour – so much so, that they’re often used to colour food and cosmetics.
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Extracted from the root of the turmeric plant, it’s part of the Zingiberaceae family, which also includes ginger.2 Interestingly, the turmeric plant is related to ginger and originates from Southern India and Indonesia.2 Using turmeric dates back to 4,000 years ago in India.2
Historically, it’s mainly been used in Ayurvedic medicine, primarily in South Asia, for many conditions e.g. fatigue. Although there are currently no EFSA-approved claims on turmeric or curcumin, anecdotal evidence suggests turmeric could have some benefits.3
Turmeric is used in many ways across the world. It spices up Indian curries, finds its way into Japanese tea, enhances Thai cosmetics, acts as a colourant in China, flavours drinks in Korea, and contributes to the preservation and colouring of mustard sauce, cheese, butter, and chips in the United States.6
Like most spices, turmeric goes by more than one name – turmeric root and Indian saffron. However, it’s not to be confused with the Javanese turmeric root either which, despite the reference to turmeric, is something else entirely.4