How to cook tamarind

The tamarind is a brown, flat, irregularly curved pod about 3 to 8 inches long with a sour, fruity taste. The pod may have as many as 12 large, flat, glossy seeds embedded in a brown, edible pulp. As the pod matures, it fills out somewhat and the juicy, acerbic pulp turns brown or reddish brown. The sweet, tart taste of the pulp is the result of its high content of both acid and sugar; however, the pulp becomes extremely sour when dried. The shells become brittle and crack readily when the fruit is fully ripe.

Family – Leguminosae
Scientific name – Tamarindus indica

Common name – tamarind, Indian date

In the amounts customarily eaten, tamarind is not a significant source of nutrients

Varieties

The size and flavor of tamarinds are determined by their variety. Indian varieties have long pods with 6 to 12 seeds, and the West Indian and American varieties have shorter pods containing only 3 to 6 seeds. Sweeter pulp is found in selected varieties such as the Makham Waan from Thailand and the Manila Sweet from the United States Department of Agriculture’s subtropical horticulture research unit in Miami.

Origin and botanical facts

The tamarind, also known as “Indian date”, is one of the few fruits native to Africa that is enjoyed in the cuisines of many other continents. In China, it is called Asam koh; in Vietnam, it is called Me; in France, Tamarin; in Cambodia, Ampil khui or tum; in Thailand, Mak kham; and in Italy and Spain, Tamarindo. Although the tamarind is native to tropical Africa and grows wild throughout the Sudan, the fruit has been cultivated in India for centuries. During the 16th century, the fruit was brought to the Americas, and it is now widely grown in Mexico and Central and South America. Belize, Brazil, Guatemala, and India are the major commercial producers of tamarind worldwide. The tree is a slow-growing, long-lived evergreen with supple branches and bright-green leaves that appear in pairs, 1 to 2 1/2 inches in length, and fold up at night. Under favorable conditions, the tree may grow up to 80 feet tall and 20 to 35 feet wide. In severe drought, the leaves often drop off the tree. A young tree bears fruit within 4 years and continues to fruit for up to 60 years. Tamarind fruits may be left on the tree for up to 6 months after maturity without loss of moisture.

How to cook tamarind

Tamarind is available in Indian and Asian markets as a fresh fruit, as a concentrated pulp with seeds, as a paste, as whole pods dried into “bricks”, and as a powder. Tamarind has a variety of uses in cooking. The immature fruit can be roasted and served as a “vegetable”, or it can be used to season rice, fish, or meat. Ripe tamarind is eaten fresh or made into sauces, chutneys, or curry dishes. It is also one of the many ingredients in Worcestershire sauce. Tamarind pulp concentrate is often used as a flavoring in East Indian and Middle Eastern dishes, in much the same way lemon juice is used in Western cuisine. Tamarind’s sweet-sour flavor combines well with the spicy flavor of chili in the Thai and Vietnamese cuisines, where unripe pods are used in soups and stews. In Indian cooking, tamarind is used as a seasoning in lentil and bean dishes and in the dish called “vindaloo”. Tamarind syrup, which can be found in Dutch, Indonesian, and East Indian markets, is used to flavor soft drinks.