Turmeric (Manjano)
A bright-yellow rhizome in the ginger family, sold fresh in knobbly fingers or more often as vivid yellow-orange ground powder.
HOW TO IDENTIFY IT
The powder stains everything it touches a deep saffron yellow - handle the fresh root with care or your fingers will announce it for days. Fresh turmeric smells earthy and slightly bitter, like a gentler ginger.
CULTURE & KITCHEN
Manjano gives urojo (Zanzibar mix) its trademark yellow color and appears in most Swahili curry powders. It's also a traditional skin treatment in Swahili weddings, painted on brides' arms and faces.