Turmeric has been put to use as a foodstuff, cosmetic, and medicine. It is widely used as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. It lends curry its distinctive yellow color and flavor. It is used as a coloring agent in cheese, butter, and other foods.

An upright herb with large, oblong leaves that are dark green on the upper surface and pale green underneath. Its yellow-white flowers grow on a spike-like stalk and have small, brown seeds. Turmeric only reproduces via its underground stem which is thick and ringed with the bases of old leaves.