India grows most of the world's turmeric, and "turmeric" on a price list can mean very different things. Price follows three questions: which part of the rhizome, from which origin, and with how much curcumin. This guide explains the terms a buyer will meet.
Fingers, bulbs and splits
- Fingers are the side branches of the rhizome: long, dense and the most valued form for grinding and export.
- Bulbs (or rounds) are the central mother rhizomes: shorter, thicker and usually a little lower in price.
- Splits are bulbs cut in halves or quarters to dry faster.
- After harvest the rhizomes are boiled, dried and then polished in a drum to remove the rough skin and rootlets. "Unpolished", "polished" and "double polished" describe how far that has gone; polished fingers look smoother and brighter.
Origins and their character
Turmeric is traded by the name of the region it comes from, and each has a typical curcumin range. The figures below are typical values seen in trade; crop year and farm practice move them, so buy on the tested result of the lot, not on the name.
| Trade name | Region | Typical character |
|---|---|---|
| Alleppey | Kerala | Deep orange-yellow, high curcumin (often around 5 % and above); preferred where colour matters |
| Erode and Salem | Tamil Nadu | Bright yellow, medium curcumin; large, liquid market with a well-known benchmark price |
| Madras | Tamil Nadu | Lighter mustard-yellow, lower curcumin (often around 2–3.5 %); traditional choice for mustard and pickles |
| Rajapuri / Sangli | Maharashtra | Thick fingers, good colour, medium-to-high curcumin; Sangli is a major trading centre |
| Nizamabad | Telangana | Medium curcumin, widely used for powder |
| Lakadong | Meghalaya | Small volumes with very high curcumin (often 7 % and above); sold at a premium |
Why curcumin matters — and when it does not
Curcumin is the group of pigments that gives turmeric its colour and is the active bought by nutraceutical and colour manufacturers. A food colour or supplement maker pays for curcumin content and will want high-curcumin material or a standardised extract (commonly sold as 95 % curcuminoids). A spice blender or retail brand cares just as much about flavour, aroma and a consistent shade in the pack, and a medium-curcumin origin is often the better and cheaper fit.
Tests to ask for
- Curcumin content, with the method stated (spectrophotometric and HPLC results are not interchangeable).
- Moisture, total ash and acid-insoluble ash.
- Lead and lead chromate: bright yellow lead chromate has been used illegally to improve colour, so a heavy-metal result is essential for turmeric.
- Illegal dyes such as metanil yellow and Sudan dyes, and added starch in powder.
- Aflatoxins, pesticide residues against the limits of your market, and microbiology (with the sterilisation method stated).
- For powder: mesh size and colour value.
Forms you can buy
Whole dried fingers and bulbs; ground turmeric in a range of mesh sizes; turmeric oleoresin for food colour and flavour; curcumin extract for supplements; turmeric essential oil; and dried turmeric leaves for regional cooking. Most of these have their own page in our Spice Encyclopedia.
Need a specification, a sample Certificate of Analysis or a quotation? Tell us the product, grade and quantity.
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