Turmeric is one of the main ingredients of curry powder, and is used to give it the characteristic yellow color. It is also delicious added to?rice?dishes,?seafood, and mustards and pickles. Turmeric is also more widely used as a colorant for textiles and food products. It is sometimes substituted for saffron as it is much less expensive, but produces the same yellow color. Turmeric has also been used as an alternative to medicine and can be made into a drink.