Turmeric or Curcuma longa is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between 20 and 30 °C (68 and 86 °F) and high annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered each year for their rhizomes, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption.
Kunyit (Jawi: كوڽيت), temu kunyit (Jawi: تمو کوڽيت) dan temu kuning (Jawi: تمو کونيڠ; nama saintifik: Curcuma longa) ialah spesies tumbuhan berbunga dalam keluarga temu-temuan. Ia merupakan sejenis rempah yang banyak digunakan dalam kari dan masakan lain Asia Selatan. Kunyit juga digunakan untuk memberi warna kuning pada masakan. Selain kegunaan dalam masakan, kunyit juga terkenal di kalangan masyarakat Melayu dan India dengan khasiatnya sebagai ubat pembersih dalaman badan dan mencantikkan kulit. Di samping itu, daun serta bunga kunyit memang digemari sebagai ulam oleh sesetengah masyarakat Melayu.
The rhizomes are used fresh or boiled in water and dried, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow powder commonly used as a coloring and flavoring agent in many Asian cuisines, especially for curries.
Turmeric is one of the key ingredients in many Asian dishes, imparting a mustard-like, earthy aroma and pungent, slightly bitter flavor to foods. It is used mostly in savory dishes, but also is used in some sweet dishes, such as the cake sfouf. In India, turmeric leaf is used to prepare special sweet dishes, patoleo, by layering rice flour and coconut-jaggery mixture on the leaf, then closing and steaming it in a special utensil (chondrõ). Most turmeric is used in the form of rhizome powder to impart a golden yellow color. It is used in many products such as canned beverages, baked products, dairy products, ice cream, yogurt, yellow cakes, orange juice, biscuits, popcorn, cereals and sauces. It is a principal ingredient in curry powders. Although typically used in its dried, powdered form, turmeric also is used fresh, like ginger.
Turmeric is used widely as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. Various Iranian khoresh recipes begin with onions caramelized in oil and turmeric. The Moroccan spice mix ras el hanout typically includes turmeric. In South Africa, turmeric is used to give boiled white rice a golden color, known as geelrys (yellow rice) traditionally served with bobotie. In Vietnamese cuisine, turmeric powder is used to color and enhance the flavors of certain dishes, such as bánh xèo, bánh khọt, and mì Quảng. The staple Cambodian curry paste, kroeung, used in many dishes, including fish amok, typically contains fresh turmeric. In Indonesia, turmeric leaves are used for Minang or Padang curry base of Sumatra, such as rendang, sate padang, and many other varieties. In the Philippines, turmeric is used in the preparation and cooking of kuning, satti, and some variants of adobo. In Thailand, fresh turmeric rhizomes are used widely in many dishes, in particular in the southern Thai cuisine, such as yellow curry and turmeric soup. Turmeric is used in a hot drink called “turmeric latte” or “golden milk” that is made with milk, frequently coconut milk. The turmeric milk drink known as haldī dūdh (haldī [हलदी] means turmeric in Hindi) is a traditional Indian recipe. Sold in the US and UK, the drink known as “golden milk” uses nondairy milk and sweetener, and sometimes black pepper after the traditional recipe (which may also use ghee).
Turmeric is approved for use as a food color, assigned the code E100.The oleoresin is used for oil-containing products.
In combination with annatto (E160b), turmeric has been used to color numerous food products. Turmeric is used to give a yellow color to some prepared mustards, canned chicken broths, and other foods—often as a much cheaper replacement for saffron.
हल्दी (टर्मरिक) भारतीय वनस्पति है। यह अदरक की प्रजाति का ५-६ फुट तक बढ़ने वाला पौधा है जिसमें जड़ की गाठों में हल्दी मिलती है। हल्दी को आयुर्वेद में प्राचीन काल से ही एक चमत्कारिक द्रव्य के रूप में मान्यता प्राप्त है। औषधि ग्रंथों में इसे हल्दी के अतिरिक्त हरिद्रा, कुरकुमा लौंगा, वरवर्णिनी, गौरी, क्रिमिघ्ना योशितप्रीया, हट्टविलासनी, हरदल, कुमकुम, टर्मरिक नाम दिए गए हैं।
आयुर्वेद में हल्दी को एक महत्वपूर्ण औषधि कहा गया है। भारतीय रसोई में इसका महत्वपूर्ण स्थान है और धार्मिक रूप से इसको बहुत शुभ समझा जाता है। विवाह के एक दिन पूर्व वर और वधू दोनों के शरीर पर हल्दी का लेप करने की प्रथा है।
लैटिन नाम : करकुमा लौंगा (Curcuma longa)
अंग्रेजी नाम : टरमरिक (Turmeric)
पारिवारिक नाम : जिन्जिबरऐसे
हालांकि लंबे समय से आयुर्वेदिक चिकित्सा में इस्तेमाल किया जाता है, जहां इसे हरिद्रा[1] के रूप में भी जाना जाता है, अमेरिकी खाद्य एवं औषधि प्रशासन के अनुसार[2][3], किसी भी बीमारी के इलाज के लिए हल्दी या उसके घटक, करक्यूमिन का उपयोग करने के लिए कोई उच्च गुणवत्ता वाला नैदानिक प्रमाण नहीं है। हल्दी एक ऐन्टीसेप्टिक के रूप मे कार्य करती है।