Turmeric powder has a warm, bitter, black pepper-like flavor and earthy, mustard-like aroma. Curcumin, a bright yellow chemical produced by the turmeric plant, is approved as a food additive by the World Health Organization, European Parliament, and United States Food and Drug Administration.Turmeric is the dried knobby shaped rhizome of the plant Curcuma longa,It contains a chemical called curcumin, which might reduce swelling.