Everything about Tamarind totally explained
» This article refers to the tree. For other uses see Tamarindo (disambiguation).
The
Tamarind (
Tamarindus indica) (from the Arabic: تمر هندي tamar hindi = Indian date) is in the
family Fabaceae. The genus
Tamarindus is monotypic (having only a single species). It is a tropical
tree, native to tropical
Africa, including Sudan and parts of the
Madagascar dry deciduous forests. It was introduced into India so long ago that it has often been reported as indigenous there, and it was apparently from India that it reached the Persians and the Arabs who called it "tamar hindi" (Indian date, from the date-like appearance of the dried pulp), giving rise to both its common and generic names. Unfortunately, the specific name, "indica", also perpetuates the illusion of Indian origin. The fruit was well known to the ancient Egyptians and to the Greeks in the 4th Century B.C.
The tree has long been naturalized in the East Indies and the islands of the Pacific. One of the first tamarind trees in Hawaii was planted in 1797. The tamarind was certainly introduced into tropical America, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the West Indies much earlier. In all tropical and near-tropical areas, including South Florida, it's grown as a shade and fruit tree, along roadsides and in dooryards and parks. There are commercial plantings in Mexico, Belize and other Central American countries and in northern Brazil. In India there are extensive tamarind orchards producing 275,500 tons (250,000 MT) annually. The pulp is marketed in northern Malaya and to some extent wherever the tree is found even if there are no plantations.
The
tree can grow up to 20 m in height, and stays
evergreen in regions without a dry season. Tamarind
timber consists of hard, dark red
heartwood and softer, yellowish sapwood. The leaves consist of 10–40
leaflets. The
flowers are produced in
racemes. The
fruit is a brown pod-like
legume, which contains a soft acidic pulp and many hard-coated
seeds. The seeds can be
scarified to enhance
germination.
Alternative names include
Indian date, translation of
Arabic تمر هندي
tamr hindī. In
Malaysia it's called
asam in
Malay and
swee boey in Hokkien (
Min Nan). In
Indonesia it's called
asem (or
asam)
Jawa (means
Javanese asam) in
Indonesian. In the
Philippines it's called
sampaloc in
Tagalog and
sambag in
Cebuano. In Oriya it's called
tentuli. In
Hindi it's called
imli. In
Marathi it's called
chinch. In
Bangla, the term is
tẽtul. In
Sinhala the name is
siyambala, in
Telugu it's called chintachettu (tree) and chintapandu (fruit extract) and in
Tamil and
Malayalam it's
puli (புளி). In
Kannada it's called
hunase. In
Malagasy it's called
voamadilo. The
Vietnamese term is
me. In
Puerto Rico it's called "tamarindo". The tamarind is the provincial tree of the
Phetchabun province of
Thailand (in Thailand it's called
ma-kham). In Taiwan it's called
loan-tz.
Tamarind (
Tamarindus indica) shouldn't be confused with the Manila tamarind (
Pithecellobium dulce), which is an entirely different plant, though also in Fabaceae.
Uses
The fruit pulp is edible and popular. It is used as a
spice in both Asian and Latin American cuisines, and is also an important ingredient in
Worcestershire sauce,
HP sauce and the Jamaican-produced
Pickapeppa sauce . The hard green pulp of a young fruit is very tart and acidic and is most often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripened fruit is sweeter, yet still distinctively sour, and can be used in desserts and sweetened drinks, or as a snack. In Thailand, there's a carefully cultivated sweet variety with little to no tartness grown specifically to be eaten as a fresh fruit.
In temples, especially in Asian countries, the pulp is used to clean brass shrine furniture, removing dulling and the greenish patina that forms.
The wood is a bold red color. Due to its density and durability, tamarind heartwood can be used in making
furniture and wood flooring. A
tamarind switch is sometimes used as an implement for
corporal punishment.
Tamarind trees are very common in South India, particularly in
Tamil Nadu and
Andhra Pradesh. They are used as
ornamental trees and to provide shade on the country roads and highways. Tamarind is extensively used in the cuisine of both these states.
Tamarind is a staple in the
Tamil Nadu diet, where it's used to prepare
Rasam,
Sambhar,
Puliyogare, and various types of
chutneys.
The pulp, leaves, and
bark also have medical applications. For example, in the
Philippines, the leaves have been traditionally used in
herbal tea for reducing
malaria fever. Due to its medicinal value, tamarind is used as an
Ayurvedic Medicine for gastric and/or digestion problems.
In
Egypt, there's an acidic chilled drink made from tamarind which is popular in summertime. It is called "tamr hindi".
In
Madagascar, the tree is known as the kily tree. Its fruits and leaves are a well-known favorite of
ring-tailed lemurs, providing as much as 50% of their food resources during the year if available.
Tamarind is available in specialty food stores worldwide in pod form or as a paste or concentrate. It is also sold in various snack forms in Southeast Asia and in Mexico where it's dried and salted, candied (see for example
pulparindo), and served as a cold drink.
Pad Thai, a Thai dish popular with Europeans and Americans, sometimes includes tamarind for its tart taste (though lime juice and/or white vinegar are more commonly used). A tamarind-based sweet-and-sour sauce served over deep-fried fish is also a common dish in Central Thailand. In Singapore and Malaysia it's used to add a sweet-sour taste to gravy for fish in a dish called
asam fish. In the Philippines it's used to add a sour taste in
Sinigang soup.
In Latin America, especially Mexico, and Latin American immigrant communities in the US, the fruit is wildly popular and is fashioned into a drink, "Agua de Tamarindo", and many kinds of treats. Many popular
Tamarindo concoctions are hard candies and suckers and one of the most popular
aguas frescas is flavored with tamarind.
In the state of
Andhra Pradesh in
India, a tangy
pickle is made from Tamarind flowers.
The tamarind tree is the official plant of
Santa Clara, Cuba. Consequently it appears in the coat of arms of the city.
Other uses: tamarind has recently become popular in
bonsai culture, frequently used in Asian countries like Indonesia, Taiwan and the Philippines. In the last Japan Airlines World Bonsai competition, Mr. Budi Sulistyo of Indonesia won the second prize with an ancient tamarind bonsai.
References and external links
Further Information
Get more info on 'Tamarind'.
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