Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) was highly esteemed by the ancient Indo-European people for its gold-yellow dye resembling sunlight. the brilliant yellow color of turmeric, which is resistant to very high dilutions, found its way to commercial use as a coloring agent for various items including cotton, silk, paper, wood, foodstuffs, and cosmetics.

Turmeric(Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae(of the suborder Zingiberoidae), consists of more than a hundred species and several varieties of rhizomatous herbs, grown extensively in East and Southeast Asia. The commonly used ginger, Zingiber officinale Rosc., is also an economically important member of the same family.