Details of Medicinal Plants

Turmeric

Curcuma longa L. Zingiberaceae

This perennial is found in India. It was brought to Japan in the 1700s and is cultivated in Kyusyu, Okinawa, N Kanto, and other prefectures. The plant height is over 100 cm and the flowering period in Japan is July to August. It is commonly used as a spice in curry and as a coloring agent in yellow pickled radish.

Part used: rhizome
Medicinal use: cholagogue and liver protectant
Main component: curcumin

Each yellow part covered with a white spathe in spikes is a true flower.

"Turmeric" is the dried rhizome harvested in Autumn.

The rhizome of turmeric is orange while zedoary is blue-green.