Tamarind

Indian date or tamarind belongs to the legume family and is the only representative of the isolated genus Tamarind. Africa and Madagascar are considered the birthplace of the plant. A wild species of tamarind plant grows in Sudan and almost throughout Asia. It is noteworthy that tamarind began to be cultivated already several thousand years BC. Tamarind belongs to the popular and common plant in countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, as well as Canada and Latin America.

In cooking, the flesh of tamarind fruits is used, from which paste or tamarind sauce is made. Tamarind fruits are considered an excellent spice, which is used in dishes not only Asian, but also Latin American cuisine. It is not uncommon for tamarind to be a compound ingredient in other known sauces. For example, the famous English grouch sauce cannot be made without tamarind, which gives the final product a sweet and sour taste and a distinctive aroma.

The tamarind tree reaches a height of about 20 meters and remains evergreen in the climatic zones where the plant grows. The leaves of tamarindasostat are made of at least 10 thin and small leaflets. The tamarind fruit looks like a bean crop pod. The flesh of unripe tamarind fruits is quite sour in taste, which is used by Asian chefs in fiery spicy dishes. The ripened fruits of tamarind acquire a bright and sweet taste. I do not use such a tamarind as a seasoning.

The ripe fruits of tamarind are used to make Asian sweets and drinks. In addition to cooking, tamarind is used in medicine. The useful properties of tamarind have been known to mankind since ancient times. For example, in the Philippine islands, tamarind leaves are used to prepare healing herbal tea, which can strengthen the immune system and help in recovery from severe diseases such as fever or malaria. In Indian folk medicine, Ayuverda tamarind occupies one of the main places.

Tamarind is a component of all medicinal infusions that help in the prevention and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition to the leaves and fruits of the tamarind tree, traditional medicine recipes use the bark of the plant, on the basis of which healing infusions are made. The useful properties of tamarind are contained in the vitamin-mineral composition of the plant fruits. Vitamins of group A, as well as active natural compounds and minerals make tamarind a useful food. Latin America is not far behind the Asian region and actively uses tamarind in dishes of its national cuisine.

In Mexico, the sweetness of tamarind pulparindo is incredibly popular. Tamarind is eaten fresh or dried. Frozen or candied tamarind fruits are also found. In our latitudes, tamarind paste can be purchased in specialized stores. In the USA, as well as Europe, tamarind sweets are in demand, which have a distinctive fruit taste and aroma. In Cuba, the tamarind tree was honored to become a symbol of the entire city of Santa Clara. Tamarind is depicted on the coat of arms of the city.