On Food and Cooking

been used to color skin, clothing, and foods
for ceremonies surrounding marriage and
death. In the United States, the main use of
turmeric is to provide color and nonpungent
filler in prepared mustards. It’s also the major
component of most prepared curry powders,
making up 25–50% of their weight.
The major pigment in turmeric is a
phenolic compound called curcumin, which
turns out to be an excellent antioxidant. This
may explain why turmeric is considered to
have preservative properties; in India fish and
other foods are often first dusted with it
before cooking, and it goes into many
prepared dishes. The color of curcumin is
sensitive to pH. In acid conditions it’s yellow,
while in alkaline conditions it turns orange-
red.
To make the spice, turmeric rhizomes are
steamed or boiled in slightly alkaline water to
set the color and precook the abundant starch,
then sun-dried. Turmeric is usually sold