The flavour of the
week is tamarind. The tamarind, a slow-growing, long-lived, massive tree with
strong, supple branches, is covered in dark grey bark. The tree is
covered in bright green, feathery foliage and produces inconspicuous, inch wide
flowers yellow with orange or red streaks. The Tamarind tree is indigenous to
Africa, but is now grown in most tropical countries, including Mexico, India,
Australia, and China.
The fruits are flattish,
beanlike pods and are tender skinned with green,
highly acidic flesh and soft, whitish seeds. As they mature, the
pods fill out somewhat and the juicy, acidic pulp turns brown or red.
When fully ripe the skin becomes a brittle, easily cracked shell and the pulp
dehydrates naturally to a sticky paste enclosed by a few coarse strands of fibre.
The flavor of the greenish unripe
tamarind is watery, acidic and very sour. The ripened sticky pulp has a musky
flavor and is sweet and sour due to the sugar and the acid content.
The food uses of the
tamarind are many. The tender, immature, very sour pods are cooked as seasoning
for savoury dishes in India. The fully grown, but still unripe fruits are roasted
in coals until they burst and the pulp is dipped in wood ashes and eaten. The
fully ripe, fresh fruit is eaten raw.
The pulp is made into
a variety of products. It is an important ingredient in chutneys, curries and
sauces, including some brands of Worcestershire and barbecue sauce. Sugared
tamarind pulp is often prepared as a confection.Tamarind drinks are
very popular in the tropics and most especially in Mexico. The strained pulp, much like apple
butter in appearance, can be stored under refrigeration for use in cold drinks
or as a sauce for meats and poultry, plain cakes or puddings. Tamarind is
excellent in margaritas and other cocktails.
