It was first used as a dye, and then later for its supposed properties in folk medicine. 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. 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. 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. longa is problematic, with only the specimens from South India being identifiable as C. Recent studies have also shown that the taxonomy of C. Other countries in tropical Asia also have numerous wild species of Curcuma. Thailand has a comparable 30 to 40 species. The greatest diversity of Curcuma species by number alone is in India, at around 40 to 45 species. Botanical view of Curcuma longa Origin and distribution Īlthough long used in Ayurvedic medicine, where it is also known as haridra, there is no high-quality clinical evidence that consuming turmeric or curcumin is effective for treating any disease. Ĭurcumin, 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 powder has a warm, bitter, black pepper-like flavor and earthy, mustard-like aroma. The rhizomes are used fresh or boiled in water and dried, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a coloring and flavoring agent in many Asian cuisines, especially for curries, as well as for the dyeing characteristics imparted by the principal turmeric constituent, curcumin. Plants are gathered each year for their rhizomes, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between 20 and 30 ☌ (68 and 86 ☏) and high annual rainfall to thrive. Turmeric ( / ˈ t ɜːr m ər ɪ k, ˈ tj uː-/) or Curcuma longa ( / ˈ k ɜːr k j ʊ m ə ˈ l ɒ ŋ ɡ ə/), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae.
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