It is a tall herb with large root stocks and consists of rhizomes which are ovate, oblong or phyriforam. It is grown in many parts of India as commercial crop. It is household spice for divirse cuisines in all parts of India.

Turmeric powder is considered auspicious in many religious ceremonies in Hindu families. Turmeric is often used in beauty creams for its antibiotic properties. It is also very commonly used as household remedy for minor cuts and wounds.

The yellow pigmented fraction Curcumin is isolated from the rhizomes of curcuma longa rhizomes are also used for diverse medicinal/food purposes.

Until the late 1970s, turmeric oleoresin was prepared only in a few of the consuming countries, mainly the United States and the United Kingdom, and manufacturers refuse to disclose their methods of processing. India, however, has now embarked upon commercial production of turmeric oleoresin following the investigation of and the publication of information on processing techniques by the Central Food Technological Research Institute in Mysore.