Herb It Up Monday: Tamarind (Not Really an Herb)

When we lived in the Mohave Desert for 5 years I used to love to listen to the wind blow through the Tamarind trees. Some found the sound eerie, but I found it replaced the comforting sound of rain, which I missed terribly. While listening to the wind in the trees I had no idea that tamarind could be used for culinary purposes.

Photos found on Wikipedia.

Tamarind has a distant relationship to Carob. The tamarind is native to tropical Africa. At some point, it was brought to India, but that was so long ago that most think of it as native to India. During the sixteenth century, it was introduced into America and today is widely grown in Mexico.

Tamarinds are slow-growing, long-lived, evergreen trees that under best conditions can grow 80 feet high. However, in Southern California it seldom reaches more than 15 to 25 ft. in height. The tamarinds in my part of California were much larger even though we were in the desert and not in optimum conditions. I attribute this to the fact that we had a "long green line", going miles, that had rich foliage due to the fact that the "line" was a fault line. Yes, I lived next to a fault line. The fun never ends with the military.

According to Wikipedia, which has most of the same information as other sources I've read: "the fruit pulp from the Tamarind is edible. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is sour and acidic and is often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripened fruit is less sour and somewhat sweeter. It is used in desserts and sweetened drinks, or as a snack. In Thailand, there is a carefully cultivated sweet variety with little to no tartness grown specifically to be eaten as a fresh fruit. They also eat it preserved in sugar sometimes with chili as a candy.It is used in both Asian and Latin American cuisines and is also an important ingredient in Imli Chutney, a spicy North Indian condiment; Pulusu, a sauce from Andhra Pradesh, India; Worcestershire sauce; HP sauce; and the Jamaican-produced Pickapeppa sauce.

Tamarind is used extensively in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh cuisines, where it is used to prepare Rasam, Sambhar, Puliyogare and Vatha Kuzhambu. It is also used in various types of chutneys as a flavouring agent. The tender pods and flowers are also pickled and used as a side dish."

As for medicinal properties, tamarind has many. (Again, I'm not a doctor, so please seek out a holistic practitioner before using tamarind.) Tamarind is considered a mild laxative and digestive. It is used to treat bronchial disorders and gargling with tamarind water is recommended for a sore throat. It is antiseptic, used in eye-baths and for the treatment of ulcers. It is highly acidic and therefore good for fighting fevers.

If you want to try tamarind I suggest reading an article I found on Thai Food and Travel. It has a lot of good information. If you are looking to buy tamarind it can be purchased in most Mexican grocery stores, Asian and Indian markets as well as health food stores.

Stand by: in the next day or two I'll have a review of my Maze dining experience and my first product for "product" love. Maybe I'll have a chance to actually read my camera manual and take a photo or two of all the baked goods I've been making for the Avon Walk bake sale.