Turmeric (Curcuma domestica Valet.)

Turmeric is a very important spice in India, which produces nearly the whole world's crop and uses 80% of it. Turmeric usage dates back nearly 4000 years, to the Vedic culture in India, when turmeric was the principal spice and also of religious significance. In today's India, turmeric is still added to nearly every dish, be it meat or vegetables. Turmeric is part of all curry powders. Due to Indian influence, turmeric has also made its way to the cuisine of Ethiopia .

In South East Asia, the fresh spice is much preferred to the dried. In Thailand, the fresh rhizome is grated and added to curry dishes; it is also part of the yellow curry paste.

Turmeric is sometimes confused with saffron because of similar staining capabilities, although saffron gives a more orange colour. Since turmeric does not share the fascinating aroma of saffron, it is not an acceptable substitute or even alternative to it!

The so-called white turmeric is a closely related plant (zedoary), whose fresh rhizome is not so much used as a spice, but eaten as a very tasty vegetable.


GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Turmeric comes from the root of Curcuma longa, a leafy plant in the ginger family. The root, or rhizome, has a tough brown skin and bright orange flesh.The spice is also sometimes called 'Indian saffron' thanks to its brilliant yellow colour. Indian turmeric has been known to the world since ancient times. Several unique properties of Indian turmeric make it the ideal choice as a food flavour, an effective ingredient in medicines and cosmetics, and as a natural colourant. With its rich curcumin content, which imparts the distinctive yellow colour, and other inherent qualities, Indian turmeric is considered the best in the world. India is today the largest exporter of turmeric to discerning countries like the Middle East, the UK, USA and Japan. Some of the well-accepted varieties are: 'Alleppey Finger' and 'Erode turmeric' (from Tamil Nadu), 'Rajapore' and 'Sangli turmeric' (from Maharashtra) and 'Nizamabad Bulb' (from Andhra Pradesh). India also exports turmeric in powder form and as oleoresin.

HISTORY/REGION OF ORIGIN

Turmeric, with its brilliant yellow color, has been used as a dye, medicine, and flavoring since 600 BC. In 1280, Marco Polo described Turmeric as "a vegetable with the properties of saffron, yet it is not really saffron." Turmeric has been used medicinally throughout Asia to treat stomach and liver ailments. It also was used externally, to heal sores, and as a cosmetic.

USED PLANT PART

Rhizome.

PLANT FAMILY

Zingiberaceae (ginger family).

SENSORIC QUALITY

In fresh state, the rootstock has a aromatic and spicy fragrance, which by drying gives way to a more medicinal aroma. On storing, the smell rather quickly changes to earthy and unpleasant. Similarly, the colour of ground turmeric tends to fade if the spice is stored too long.

MAIN CONSTITUENTS

Turmeric contains an essential oil (max. 5%), which contains a variety of sesquiterpenes, many of which are specific for the species. Most important for the aroma are turmerone (max. 30%), ar-turmerone (25%) and zingiberene (25%). Conjugated Diarylheptanoids (1,7-diaryl-hepta-1,6-diene-3,5-diones, e.g. curcumin) are responsible for the orange colour and probably also for the pungent taste (3 to 4%).


STORAGE OF TURMERIC

The country's sole turmeric exchange in Sangli district, Maharashtra, boasts of secrets gained through a centuries-old practice -- storing turmeric in pits. These underground pits for storing turmeric stretch out in the open fields of the villages of Haripur and Sangalwadi in the Sangli district of Maharashtra -- it is possibly the most unique agri-commodity storing system in the country. After clearing the loose soil covering the pit, it is left open for about two to three hours. One cannot enter the pit until one finds out if there is any oxygen within. To ascertain this, a lantern is lowered into the pit. If the lantern does not go off, it is safe to enter the pit. It is this ingenious storing system, devised probably 200 years ago that has turned Sangli into a major trading centre for turmeric. Today, the country's sole turmeric exchange is in Sangli. Measuring 18 to 20 feet deep, the pits are considered the best storing areas for turmeric. Raw turmeric sold by farmers is stored in these underground pits for three to four years. These pits provide the best storage facility for turmeric as the quality of the commodity remains unchanged. This storage system has an added advantage in that the turmeric hardens and matures while in storage.

AREAS WITH TURMERIC CULTIVATION IN INDIA

SYNONYMS

Curcumin is the biologically active component of the turmeric plant, a member of the ginger family. Besides its well-known culinary history-turmeric is what gives curry dishes their distinctive color and flavor-turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for several thousand years in India for a number of medical conditions.

In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, turmeric has been prescribed for the treatment of common colds, coughs, jaundice, and upper respiratory disorders1. The next time you feel a cold coming on, try this old Indian remedy: open a capsule or two of curcumin into a small amount of honey. Mix it and eat. You'll feel better almost immediately.
East Indian healers have used turmeric as an anti-viral agent as well. As recently as March of 1993, researchers published a study that indicated curcumin from turmeric as an ally in the treatment against HIV.2 The information in the study was suggestive at best, but the in-vitro results couldn't be overlooked: curcumin was effective in inhibiting the replication of HIV in both acutely infected and chronically infected cells.

Turmeric has traditionally been used as a stomach aid as well. Scientists have isolated oils from the root of the turmeric plant, which have the ability to reduce excess gas in the stomach and intestines. Cineol, camphor, and linalool are also found in turmeric extracts and they have anti-spasmodic properties (this would explain the common Asian prescription of turmeric powder for stomach aches). An additional oil found in turmeric extracts is Borneal, a substance that helps indigestion.
Perhaps the most exciting application of turmeric (or its isolated active ingredient curcumin) is as an anti-inflammatory agent. Chinese and Indian systems of medicine have used turmeric both topically and internally to fight inflammation. Scientists have found that curcumin inhibits hyaluronidase activity. Hyaluronidase is an enzyme that is released by the body to protect itself at the site of an injury, but the continued release of this enzyme then causes inflammation and infection. Regular consumption of curcumin can keep the hyaluronidase levels in check.

One application yet to be frequently prescribed by health professionals is curcumin's use to combat arthritis-related inflammation. In fact, a very effective protocol against arthritis may be the combination of curcumin with glucosamines. A suggested dose of curcumin would be a 500 mg. extract four to six times per day along with 1500 mg. of either glucosamine sulfate or glucosamine hydrochloride. Please consult a physician or qualified health advisor before starting any new nutrition program.

Curcumin is currently being studied as an anti-inflammatory (Mukhopadhyay A, et al. 1982. Agents and Actions 12(4): 508-515), as a possible cancer inhibitor (Mukundan MA, tet al. 1993. Carcinogenesis 14(3): 493-496), and as an inhibitor of several different kinds of tumor cells (Feb Leners, 1994 Mar.14, 341(1):19-22), and for many other medical uses.

In summary, Curcumin may be helpful as a common cold aid, an anti-viral, a stomach and intestinal soother, and an anti-inflammatory agent. Turmeric, the source of curcumin extract, is extremely well tolerated, and has been used on a daily basis by many Asian cultures.

ENERGY: Heating, (KV-Po).

TASTES: Bitter, Astringent, Pungent.

PROPERTIES: Acrid, Bitter, Warm.

POST-DIGESTION EFFECTS: Pungent.

CHANNELS ENTERED: Spleen, stomach, Liver.

TISSUES: Works on all tissue-elements in the body.

SYSTEMS: Digestive, Circulative, Respira-tory.

ACTIONS: Stimulant,Carminative, Altera-tive, Vulnerary, Antibacterial.

INDICATIONS: Indigestion, Poor Circulation, Cough, Amenorrhea, Pharyngtis, Skin Disorders, Diabetes, Arthritis, Anemia, Wounds, Bruises.

PRECAUTIONS: Acute Jaundice and Hepatitis, High Pitta, Pregnancy.

PREPARATIONS: Infusion, Decoction, Powder (250 mg. to 1 g.)."the yoga of herbs".