Turmeric is a relative of the ginger family and also comes from the underground rhizome or root of the plant. It adds a distinctive yellow colour and a warm miled flavour to foods. It is an essential in curry powders.

Mild, slightly bitter

Curries, egg dishes, cream sauces, pickles, relishes, chutneys, devilled eggs, bean and lentil dishes, rice dishes, salad dressings, breads, mayonnaise, soups, noodles, chicken, fish, shellfish, vegetables (especially cauliflower and potato).

Measuring:

Eggs 1/8 teaspoon in 6 stuffed or scrambled eggs

Rice 1/4 teaspoon added to 1 cup rice before cooking

Sauces 1/4 teaspoon in 2 cups white or cheese sauce

Chicken or seafood 1/4 teaspoon in 1/2 cup melted butter as a baste

Seafood dip 1/2 teaspoon in 1 cup mayonnaise or sour cream

Turmeric, although it does not have the exotic flavour, can be substituted for saffron. Turmeric is also used as a dye and as a digestive in India.

Turmeric--a mild, slightly bitter, golden spice used in rice and curry mixtures--is one of the four spices that triple the activity of insulin in laboratory tests. Preliminary studies from India also suggest that two compounds in the spice--Curcumin I and II--may possess cancer-preventing properties and possibly boost the immune system.