FAMILY :: ZINGIBERACEAE
$100 – plant (available only in summer)
Turmeric: From India and Southeast Asia, this tropical herb prefers rich, moist soil and warmth, going dormant early here in Vallarta in the winter. Has large leaves and 7″ long spikes of yellow flowers. It is known only in cultivation and does not reproduce from seeds (it is believed to be a sterile hypbrid). The root is the source of a condiment and a dye.
Turmeric has been used in India for at least 2,500 years. It was recorded in China by 700 AD, East Africa by 800 AD and West Africa by 1200. It is first recorded being used as a dye, then as a food additive and then, in Susruta’s Ayurvedic compendium, dating to 250 BC, as a medicine.
MORE INFORMATION:
Kew Gardens reference – A very complete overview of this herb.
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