Turmeric

Wherever it has traveled from its South Asian origins, turmeric (Curcuma longa) has become an invaluable plant. It is used as a seasoning, a food color, a dye plant, a cosmetic, and a medicine, with a long list of healing properties both internal and external. As with many other members of the ginger family, the most useful part of the plant is the rhizome. The fresh rhizome is used in Parsi household medicine and is sometimes turned into a lime- and salt-cured pickle. Dried rhizomes, whole or ground, are used to give food a yellowish color as well as a flavor. Parsi households often have both forms. Turmeric dries almost rock hard, so pounding it by hand can be quite a venture. While it lasts indefinitely as a color, turmeric kept too long loses its distinct scent. If you don’t get a strong smell when you open a jar, you need to get some more.