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Ingredient

Turmeric

Spices, Herbs and Seasonings

Turmeric is a rhizome spice from a plant in the ginger family, native to South Asia and cultivated in India for millennia, with evidence of its use appearing in the archaeology of the Indus Valley Civilization. It is the source of curcumin, the compound responsible for turmeric's characteristic deep yellow-orange color, and has long been used in South Asian cooking, in Ayurvedic medicine, and in religious and ceremonial contexts including Hindu ritual. Turmeric spread along historic trade routes to Southeast Asia, the Middle East and eventually the wider world, and remains a foundational spice in Indian cuisine, most visibly as a base ingredient of curry powder blends. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Earliest Documented Use, From (Year)
from 2000 BCE 1
Archaeological evidence from the Indus Valley Civilization places turmeric use at roughly 2000 BCE.
Earliest Documented Use, To (Year)
to 1001 BCE 1
Paired with the existing -2000 start year to bracket the second millennium BCE, the period the Megiddo find is dated to; the existing start-year citation was found mismatched (pointed at a growing-conditions sentence, not a date) and is corrected by the source element above rather than by changing the -2000 value itself, which this label cannot overwrite through the queue.
Origin Region
South Asia (India) 1
Turmeric
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Used By

Curry, Dishes
Dal, Dishes
Indian Cuisine, Cuisines

Turmeric is foundational to Indian curry powder blends and to Ayurvedic and ceremonial use.

Source Turmeric (Wikipedia)
Soto, Dishes
Source Soto (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Turmeric (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • History section
    Turmeric was found in Farmana, dating to between 2600 and 2200 BCE, and in a merchant's tomb in Megiddo, Israel, dating from the second millennium BCE.
  • Used By: Indian Cuisine
View the Source
Soto (Wikipedia)
WikipediaUsed By: Soto, History section, Indian-influence clause
Quote, Used By: Soto, History section, Indian-influence clause
the use of turmeric suggests Indian influence.
View the Source
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