Turmeric, which is from the same family as ginger, is cultivated in several states in India, with the country accounting for more than 75% of the world’s production, according to the Financial Express. India is also the largest exporter and consumer of turmeric. The warm and humid southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are particularly known for mass cultivation and superior quality of the crop. Planting takes place between May and August, depending on the region, and the crop is harvested from January on for a couple of months.

It is not surprising then that in the Tamil harvest festival of Pongal in mid-January, fresh turmeric leaves and roots are tied to the mouth of the ceremonial pot in which milk is boiled, indicating abundance. For in India, turmeric is much more than an unassuming kitchen spice, assuming a significant place in culture.

Among many Hindu communities, turmeric is used in festive occasions like weddings as a marker of fertility and prosperity. The pre-wedding haldi ceremony, for instance, involves family elders applying turmeric paste on the faces of the bride and the groom in a blessing-meets-beauty ritual. The taali or mangalsutra (a thread tied around the bride’s neck by the groom to formalise the marriage) is often a thick woven thread dipped in turmeric water; and even now, clothes worn on auspicious occasions (including weddings) have a touch of turmeric powder in some corner. Also, Indian women have always added a pinch of turmeric to their homemade face packs, believing that it leaves the skin clear and glowing.