Tamarind
Family Leguminosae: Caesalpiniaceae
Tamarindus indica, the tamarind (T. indica 1), is a spreading tree, up to 20 m high, with a compact crown and alternate compound leaves with 10-20 pairs of leaflets. The irregular yellowish flowers, about 2.5 cm in diameter, are borne in small terminal racemes (T. indica 2), each flower with 4 sepals and 3 petals, and 3 fertile stamens. The fruit is a pod, usually curved, 5-15 cm long, brownish and containing 1-10 seeds. The seeds are flattened, joined to each other by tough fibres running through a sticky pulp, which surrounds them. The sourish pulp contains tartaric acid.
Distribution
Tamarinds grow wild in the savannas of tropical Africa. They must have reached India at an early date and are now widely distributed throughout the tropics. The name tamarind is derived from the Arabic ‘tamar-hindi’ meaning Indian date.
Use
The brown pulp (T. indica 3) is eaten fresh or mixed with sugar as sweetmeat. It is used for seasoning other foods and in curries, chutneys and sauces. In India tamarind is also used as a source of carbohydrates for sizing cloth, paper and jute, and in the food processing industry. Dried pulp from India is used in the US and Europe for the production of chutneys and sauces. It is also used in sweets. Flowers and leaves are sometimes eaten in salads.