Haldi is a sacred spice used on the Indian subcontinent in cooking, in medicine and in rituals; most notably the haldi ceremony usually held a day or two before a wedding. In different regions of India, it is known by different names and is best known in the Western world as turmeric.

A yellow powdery spice, haldi is a staple in Indian cooking, often added to curries. It is an ingredient in golden milk (haldi ka doodh in Hindi), a warm beverage that’s also used as a healing elixir.