Turmeric is having a moment—and it's popping up in way more things (soups! drinks! beauty products!) than your chicken tikka masala. But like so many "it girls," turmeric also has a hard-to-say name.

Turmeric (pronounced ter-muh-rihk) is a spice that has been used in cooking since 600 B.C. and is the root of a plant related to ginger. It has a bitter flavor and an intense yellow-orange color. It ...