History of Turmeric, the Wonder Spice

Turmeric (Curcuma Longa) is an herbaceous, perennial plant that hails from the ginger family. Since it is a rhizomatous plant, it is gathered annually for rhizomes. This plant needs temperature between 20°C and 30°C and a high degree of annual rainfall to grow to the hilt. The rhizomes of Curcuma are boiled for hours and then dried in hot ovens, after which they are powdered to form sharp orange-yellowish powder, known as turmeric powder, popularly used as a spice in Indian and South Asian curries.



Turmeric is recognized by its peppery, slight better flavor and mustard-like smell. The medieval Europe used to call turmeric, the .Indian saffron. since it was used at that time popularly as an alternative to the expensive saffron. We all know about the indispensable use of turmeric in Indian dishes. It is also used a lot in numerous Malay, Thai and Persian dishes.

It is believed that turmeric has its roots in India. No wonder, considering that Erode, a South Indian state of Tamil Nadu is known as the turmeric capital of the world or the .yellow city. as it produces the highest quantity of turmeric in the world. The remarkable thing is that the second largest producer of Turmeric and the largest trading center of the spice in Asia are also in India, in a town called Sangli, in South-west part of Maharashtra.

Historians claim that turmeric has been in India since the last 2500 years. In the year 700 AD, turmeric was exported to China and it was transported to East Africa in 800 AD. By 1200 AD, it has reached West Africa. The pattern of turmeric usage is such that first it was used a dye, then it became an integral part of food as a spice and later on, people started using it for cosmetic purposes too. Compared to the expensive saffron, people started using this .Indian saffron. and were pleased with both the taste and the curative appeal of this spice. The famous explorer, Marco Polo, during his visit to India, hailed it as a vegetable that has qualities similar to saffron



The Indian subcontinent attaches special significance to the orange-yellowish divine color of turmeric. Both the prominent cultures, Aryan (North Indian) and Dravidian (South Indian) embrace this spice and call them .haldi. and .manjal. respectively. Turmeric is an important part in the bridal and groom makeup in both north Indian and South Indian cultures. The powdered paste along with gram flour (besan) is applied on the face, neck, hands and legs of the bride in question by the women in the house couple of days prior to the marriage.

As far as medicinal use is concerned, ancient Sanskrit texts hint to the use of turmeric in Ayurveda and Unani medicine. If you look at the .Compendium. written by Susruta or the .Susruta Samitha., dating back to 250 BC, he recommends an ointment that contains turmeric to cure food poisoning. The use of turmeric as a spice in food and as a fabric dye dates back to 600 BC. In Biblical times, turmeric was used as a perfume but now it is used mostly as food flavoring, coloring, dye, natural medicine and of course, as a beautifying agent. No wonder, it is a wonder spice.