Turmeric

Turmeric is a plant native to Southeast Asia, and grows all across the Asian continent. Its thick underground root, or rhizome, is dried and ground to produce a yellow-orange powder that has been used in many ways for thousands of years. Turmeric is a sacred spice for Hindus who use it in religious ceremonies. It has a bitter, peppery, slightly hot flavor and gives curries their bold, bright color. It is widely used as a fabric and food dye, it also has therapeutic properties. In Indian and Chinese traditional medicine, it is prescribed to treat digestive and inflammatory problems and studies carried out on the plant over the last few decades have revealed it contains powerful antioxidants.