Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the family Fabaceae.

The tamarind tree produces brown, pod-like fruits that contain a sweet, tangy pulp, which is used in cuisines around the world. Because tamarind has multiple uses, it is cultivated worldwide in tropical and subtropical zones.

The tamarind flowers bloom (although inconspicuously), with red and yellow elongated flowers. Flowers are 2.5 cm (1 in) wide, five-petalled, borne in small racemes, and yellow with orange or red streaks.

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File:TamarindSeedling.jpg|Seedling

File:Tamarind flower vijayanrajapuram 02.jpg|Flower

File:Tamarindus indica-flowers.jpg|Flowers

File:Tamarindus indica, leaves, pod.jpg|Leaves and fruit pod

File:Tamarind clara.jpg|Tamarind tree on the site of the founding of Santa Clara, Cuba

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Fruit

thumbnail|Philippine sampalok

thumb|Tamarind tree trunk

The fruit is an indehiscent pod, in length, with a hard, brown shell.

The fruit has a fleshy, acidic pulp, becoming mature when the flesh is colored brown or reddish brown.

Etymology

The name derives from , romanized tamr hindi, "Indian date". Several early medieval herbalists and physicians wrote tamar indi, medieval Latin use was tamarindus, and Marco Polo wrote of tamarandi.

Common names

In countries of Southeast Asia, it is called asam jawa (Javanese sour fruit) or simply asam, and sukaer in Timor. In the Philippines, it is called sampalok or sampaloc in Filipino, and sambag in Cebuano.

Distribution

Tamarindus indica is indigenous to tropical Africa, It has been cultivated for so long on the Indian subcontinent that it is sometimes reported to be indigenous there. It is widely distributed throughout the tropics,

In the 16th century, it was introduced to Mexico and Central America, and to a lesser degree to South America, by Spanish and Portuguese colonists, to the degree that it became a staple ingredient in the region's cuisine.

Uses

Most parts of the tamarind tree (including the wood, bark, flowers, leaves, pulp and seeds) have various environmental, commercial, and culinary uses. HP Sauce, some brands of barbecue sauce, and the traditional sharbat syrup drink. Tamarind sweet chutney is common in India and Pakistan as a dressing for many snacks and often served with samosa.

Across the Middle East, from the Levant to Iran, tamarind is used in savory dishes, notably meat-based stews, and often combined with dried fruits to achieve a sweet-sour tang. During Ramadan, tamarind is used to prepare a traditional beverage known as "tamr-hindi," which is particularly popular in the Levant region. The drink is made by boiling tamarind paste in water, sweetening it with sugar, and then straining the mixture. In some variations, rosewater and lemon juice are added to enhance its flavor. Street vendors play a significant role in distributing this beverage, carrying large copper pots filled with the juice on their backs. They typically arrange numerous cups around their waist to conveniently serve the drink to passersby in the streets.

Tamarind has been integrated into kosher and Jewish cuisine across several diasporas, beginning with its introduction to the Middle East via Jewish merchants on the Silk Road in the 7th century. Syrian Jews prepare tamarind syrup, known as ou or ouc, by soaking, straining, and boiling the fruit pulp with sugar and lemon, using it in dishes such as yebra (stuffed grape leaves), bazargan (bulgur salad), keftes (sweet-sour meatballs), and laham b'ajeen (meat flatbread). In India, Baghdadi, Cochin, and Bene Israel Jews use tamarind in regional recipes like bamia khutta, mahmoora, tamarind rice, and lamb with red chilies. Syrian Jewish communities in Mexico have adapted tamarind-based dishes with local ingredients, exemplified by chicken with tamarind, apricots, and chipotle. In contemporary Israel, tamarind juice has gained popularity beyond traditional communities, aided by commercial offerings like Prigat's seasonal releases during Ramadan.

In the Philippines, the whole fruit is used as one of the souring agents of the sour soup sinigang (which can also use other sour fruits), as well as another type of soup called sinampalukan (which uses tamarind leaves). The fruit pulp is cooked in sugar and salt to make champóy na sampalok (or simply "sampalok candy"), a traditional tamarind candy. Indonesia also has a similarly sour, tamarind-based soup dish called sayur asem.

In Sri Lanka, tamarind pulp has been used as a lime alternative, and in Senegal, the pulp is mixed with sugar to produce sweet meats known as 'bengal'. The seeds are commonly used in jellies, marmalades and jams because they contain pectin, which gives them jelly-forming properties, and have been used as a stabilizer to make cheese, ice cream, and mayonnaise. Blanched, tender tamarind leaves are used in a Burmese salad called magyi ywet thoke (), a salad from Upper Myanmar that features tender blanched tamarind leaves, garlic, onions, roasted peanuts, and pounded dried shrimp. Tamarind seeds contain high levels of protein (26.9 grams per 100 grams) and oil (10.9 grams per 100 grams) and in some countries, tamarind seeds are used as an emergency food because of their high protein levels. The leaves of the tamarind plant are high in calcium and protein and have been consumed by domestic animals and wild animals, including elephants, as a fodder. The kernel is difficult to isolate from its thin but tough shell (or testa). It has a similar consistency to linseed oil, and can be used to make paint or varnish.

Tamarind kernel powder is used as sizing material for textile and jute processing, and in the manufacture of industrial gums and adhesives. Extracts of steamed and sun-dried old tamarind pulp (asem kawa) in Java are used to treat skin problems, like rashes and irritation; one traditional practice indicated tamarind could be ingested after dilution for use as an abortifacient. In Thailand, the pulp has been transformed into a tablet in the belief it can reduce excess weight, and in Brazil, the pulp is used for its supposed hydrating effects.

Woodworking

Tamarind wood is used to make furniture, boats (as per Rumphius) carvings, turned objects such as mortars and pestles, chopping blocks, and other small specialty wood items like krises.

Metal polish

In homes and temples, especially in Buddhist Asian countries including Myanmar, the fruit pulp is used to polish brass shrine statues and lamps, and copper, brass, and bronze utensils.

Green Ways

Widely used for urban landscaping during the Dutch colonial period, tamarind trees are a common roadside feature in Indonesia today, serving as a living heritage of early 20th-century Dutch spatial planning.

Research

Lupeol, catechins, epicatechin, quercetin, and isorhamnetin are present in the leaf extract. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography analyses revealed that tamarind seeds contained catechins, procyanidin B2, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, chloramphenicol, myricetin, morin, quercetin, apigenin and kaempferol.

Cultivation

Seeds can be scarified or briefly boiled to enhance germination. They retain their germination capability for several months if kept dry.

The tree is widely cultivated across India, especially in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Extensive tamarind orchards in India produced annually in the late 20th century.

In the United States, it is a large-scale crop introduced for commercial use (second in net production quantity only to India), mainly in southern states, notably south Florida, and as a shade tree, along roadsides, in dooryards and in parks.

Horticulture

Throughout South Asia and the tropical world, tamarind trees are used as ornamental and garden plantings. Commonly used as a bonsai species in many Asian countries, it is also grown as an indoor bonsai in temperate parts of the world.

In dogs

Tamarind is toxic to dogs, with potential for causing acute kidney injury. The symptoms—which may include vomiting or diarrhea within 6–12 hours of ingestion, lethargy, or dehydration—and proposed mechanism (via tartaric acid) are the same as in grape toxicity in dogs.

References

  • SEA Hand Book-2009: Published by The Solvent Extractors' Association of India
  • Tamarindus indica in Brunken, U., Schmidt, M., Dressler, S., Janssen, T., Thiombiano, A. & Zizka, G. 2008. West African plants – A Photo Guide.