Turmeric Powder: Buying Guide and Kitchen Uses

Read the ingredients: pure turmeric only. Look for a rich golden to deep orange-yellow rather than a neon lemon yellow, which can point to added colour.

Fresh turmeric smells earthy and slightly bitter-peppery. If it smells like nothing, it has probably been sitting for a long time.

Use about a quarter to half a teaspoon per serving in dals, curries and rice. It is meant to be a background note, and too much turns a dish bitter.

Cook it in hot oil or ghee for a few seconds, or add it with the other spices early, so the raw taste cooks off.

Wipe up quickly and wash with soap. On fabric, sunlight helps fade yellow stains after washing. Plastic containers can stay tinted, so glass or steel jars are a better choice for storage.

Keep it airtight, dry and out of direct light. Clumping means moisture got in. It stays useful longer than most ground spices but is at its best within about a year.