Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a leguminous tree in the family Fabaceae indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus Tamarindus is a monotypic taxon, having only a single species.
The tamarind tree produces edible, pod-like fruit which is used extensively in cuisines around the world. Other uses include traditional medicine and metal polish. The wood can be used in carpentry. Because of the tamarind’s many uses, cultivation has spread around the world in tropical and subtropical zones.
The tamarind is best described as sweet and sour in taste, and is high in acid, sugar, B vitamins and calcium. Tamarind is a common ingredient all over Sri Lanka, India and South-East Asia in curries, “rasam”, chutneys, as well as in vegetable and lentil recipes. The pulp is also favored in “hot and sour” soups as well in marinades. The juice made of tamarind pulp with addition of dates sugar, honey, cardamom, cloves, and coriander seeds are a refreshing drink marketed in different parts of the world. Its pulp is also used in confectionaries as solidifying agent.
Sri Lanka began to export tamarind products, mainly in the form of pulp, in 1991.
The fruit pulp is edible. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is considered by many to be too sour, but is often used as a component of savory dishes, as a pickling agent or as a means of making certain poisonous yams in Ghana safe for human consumption.
The ripened fruit is considered the more palatable, as it becomes sweeter and less sour (acidic) as it matures. It is used in desserts, as a jam, blended into juices, or sweetened drinks, sorbets, ice creams and other snacks. In Western cuisine, it is found in Worcestershire sauce.