turmeric
n.n. a bright yellow powder made from the root of a plant. You use it to color and flavor food, especially in Indian cooking.
n. a bright yellow powder derived from the rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa. It is a primary spice in South Asian cuisine and is valued for its distinct flavor and coloring properties.
I add a little turmeric to the soup for color.
The chef used fresh turmeric to give the curry its signature golden hue and earthy aroma.
While dried turmeric is the most common form in global trade, some traditional recipes require the fresh root to achieve a more intense and complex flavor profile.
From Middle English turmeryte, tarmaret, of uncertain origin. Possibly corrupted from Arabic كُرْكُم (kurkum, “Curcuma”) or from Old French terre mérite (“deserving earth”), potentially as a folk etymology of the Arabic.