Turmeric Finger (HSN: 09103020)

Turmeric is the boiled, dried, cleaned, and polished rhizomes of Curcuma longa, which is a herbaceous perennial plant that grows to a height of 60-90 cm with a short stem and tufted leaf. The plant has 7 to 12 leaves, with the leaf sheaths forming a pseudo stem. The lamina is green above and pale green below, measuring 30-40 cm in length and 8-12 cm in width. The inflorescence is a central spike that is 10-15 cm in length, with 1-4 flowers born in the axil of the bract opening one at a time. A spike typically produces around 30 flowers, and the seeds are produced in capsules, with one to numerous sunken capsules in an inflorescence.

Turmeric is a tropical crop that is cultivated from sea level to 1200 meter MSL. It grows in light black, black clayey loams, and red soils in both irrigated and rainfed conditions. However, the crop cannot tolerate waterlogging or alkalinity.