Turmeric is the boiled, dried, cleaned and polished rhizomes of Curcuma
longa. The
plant is a herbaceous perennial, 60-90 cm high, with a short stem and
tufted leaf.
There are 7 to 12 leaves, the leaf sheaths forms the pseudo stem. The
lamina is green
above and pale green below and has a length of 30-40 cm and width 8-12
cm.
Inflorescence is a central spike of 10-15 cm length. 1-4 flowers are born in
axil of the
bract opening one at a time. About 30 flowers are produced in a spike.
Seeds are
produced in capsules and there will be one to numerous sunken capsules in
an
inflorescence.
Origin and Distribution:
It is a native of India. Apart from India, it is cultivated in Pakistan, Malaysia,
Myanmar,
Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Japan, Korea, China, Sri Lanka, Nepal, East &
West
Africa, South Pacific Islands, Malagasy, Caribbean Islands and Central
America. In India,
it is cultivated in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil
Nadu,
Karnataka and Kerala. Turmeric is a tropical crop cultivated from sea level to
1200
meter MSL. It grows in light black, black clayey loams and red soils in
irrigated and
rainfed conditions. The crop cannot stand water logging or alkalinity.
The Benefits of Ginger
Turmeric is used to flavour and to colour foodstuffs. It is a principal
ingredient in curry
powder. Turmeric oleoresin is used in brine pickles and to some extent in
mayonnaise
and relish formulations, non-alcoholic beverages, gelatins, butter and cheese
etc. The
colour curcumin extracted from turmeric is used as a colourant. Turmeric is
also used
as a dye in textile industry. It is used in the preparation of medicinal oils,
ointments
and poultice. It is stomachic, carminative, tonic, blood purifier and an
antiseptic. It is
used in cosmetics. The aqueous extracts has biopesticidal properties.
Curcumin is a Natural Anti-Inflammatory Compound
Turmeric Dramatically Increases The Antioxidant Capacity of The Body
Curcumin Bo