Tamarind
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The Tamarind (alternative name Indian date, translation of Arabic تمر هندي tamr hindī) is a tropical tree, originally from east Africa but now introduced into most of tropical Asia as well as Latin America. The tree can grow up to 20 meters 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 to 18 leaflets. The tree produces brown pod-like fruits, which contain pulp and hard-coated seeds. The seeds can be scarified to enhance germination.
The pulp of the fruit is used as a spice both in Asian as well as in Latin American cuisine, and is also an important ingredient to Worcestershire sauce and HP sauce. The pulp of a young fruit is very sour, and hence suitable for main dishes, whereas a ripened fruit is sweeter and can be used in desserts, drinks, or as a snack. The pulp, leaves, and the 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 denseness and durability, tamarind heartwood can be used in making furniture and wood flooring. Tamarind trees are very common in South India particularly in Andhra Pradesh. They are used to provide shade on the country roads and highways like oak trees. Monkeys love the ripened tamarind fruit. It is a staple in the South Indian diet, where it is used to prepare Sambhar (spicy lentil soup with lots of vegetables), Pulihora rice, and various types of chutneys. Tamarind is available in Indian stores worldwide. It is also sold as a candy in Mexico, and in various snack forms in Southeast Asia (dried and salted, dried and candied, as a cold drink, popsicle). Tamarind, due to its medicinal value, is used as an Ayurvedic Medicine for gastric and/or digestion problems.
In Malaysia it is called asam in Malay and swee boey in Hokkien.
The tamarind is the provincial tree of the Phetchabun province of Thailand.
See also
- carob (Ceratonia siliqua)
- list of fruits
External links
- Fruits of Warm Climates: Tamarind (http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/tamarind.html)
- Scintro: Tamarind pictures (http://fruits.scintro.com/fruitsalbum/)
- California Rare Fruit Growers: Tamarind Fruit Facts (http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/tamarind.html)
Pictures
Missing image
TamarindSeedling.jpg
A picture of a tamarind seedling
The picture above shows a tamarind seedling and remnants of the seed.de:Tamarindenbaum
fr:Tamarinier
ja:タマリンド
Categories: Spices | Fruit | Legumes | Arabic words