Turmeric is in nearly everything, which is easy to forget precisely because it is always there. It gives Indian food its colour, a mild earthy bitterness, and a warmth that sits underneath the louder spices.

It needs cooking. Stirred in raw at the end it tastes chalky. Add it to hot oil or early in the gravy and let it bloom.

Use it in curries, dal, rice, marinades and pickles. A small spoon goes a long way, and too much makes a dish bitter rather than more golden.

On the spice shelf at Curry Corner in North Melbourne.