Tamarind “Indian date”

Tamarind also known as Indian date represents the fruit pods of Tamarindus indica a tropical tree that belongs to the Fabaceae family. Originally native to Tropical Africa, Dakar in Senegal is named after the Wolof word for the tamarind tree.  The tree itself can grow up to 20 meters tall and stays evergreen in regions without a dry season.  The flowers are produced in racemes and once fertilized develop into brown pod-like legumes that contains a soft pulp and many hard-coated seeds.

The fruit pulp is edible and is employed as a spice in Asian, African. Tamarind is native to Tropical Africa and Latin American cuisines. The pulp of a young fruit is very sour and acidic and is most often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripened fruit is sweeter and can be used in desserts and drinks, or as a snack.

The most commonly found form of tamarind is in semi-dried blocks made from crushed unripe tamarind pods. This is both sour and tart and is typically dissolved in boiling water to make tamarind juice before being added to the food to be cooked. The acidity in Tamarind fruit is due to their high concentration of tartaric acid.