The Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is the only species of the genus Tamarindus in the family Fabaceae. It is a tropical tree, native to eastern Africa, including parts of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. It grows wild throughout the Sudan but has now been introduced into most of tropical Asia as well as Latin America and the Caribbean.

The tree can grow up to 20 m in height, and stays evergreen in regions without a

dry season. Tamarind timber consists of hard, dark red heartwood and softer, yellowish sapwood. The leaves consist of 10-40 leaflets. The flowers are produced in racemes. The fruit is a brown pod-like legume, which contains a soft acidic pulp and many hard-coated seeds. The seeds can be scarified to enhance germination.

Alternative names include Indian date, translation of Arabic tamr hindī. In Malaysia it is called asam in Malay and swee boey in Hokkien. In Indonesia it is called asem (or asam) Jawa (means Javanese asam) in Indonesian. In the Philippines it is called sampaloc. In Oriya it is called (Tentuli).In Hindi it is called imli. In Marathi it is called chinch.In Bangla, the term is tẽtul. In Sinhala the name is siyambala, in Telugu it is called Chintachettu (tree) and Chintapandu (fruit extract) and in Tamil and Malayalam it is puli. In Kannada it is called hunase. In Malagasy it is called voamadilo. The Vietnamese term is me. The tamarind is the provincial tree of the Phetchabun province of Thailand (in Thailand it is called Ma-kham).

Uses

The fruit pulp is edible and popular. It is used as a spice in both Asian and Latin American cuisines, and is also an important ingredient in Worcestershire sauce and HP sauce. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is very sour and acidic and is most often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripened fruit is sweeter, yet still distictively sour, and can be used in desserts and sweetened drinks, or as a snack. In Thailand, there is a carefully cultivated sweet variety with little to no sourness grown specifically to be eaten as a fresh fruit.

In temples especially in Asian countries, the pulp is used to clean brass shrine furniture, removing dulling and the greenish patina that form.

The wood is a bold red color. Due to its density and durability, tamarind heartwood can be used in making furniture and wood flooring. A tamarind switch is sometimes used as an implement for corporal punishment.

Tamarind trees are very common in South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. They are used as ornamental trees and to provide shade on the country roads and highways. Monkeys love the ripened tamarind fruit.

The pulp, leaves, and bark also have medical applications. For example, in the Philippines, the leaves have been traditionally used in herbal tea for reducing malaria fever. Due to its medicinal value, tamarind is used as an Ayurvedic Medicine for gastric and/or digestion problems.

Tamarind is a staple in the South Indian diet, where it is used to prepare Kuzambu or Sambhar (spicy lentil soup vegetables and tamarind), a soupy preparation called pulikkuzambu popular in Tamil Nadu, Puliyodarai rice, and various types of chutneys. In another south Indian State Andhra pradesh 'Pachi Pulusu' is a famous dish made of tamrind syrup diluted with water then boiled with spices, salt and Chopped onions, other dish pulihora and for coastal districts of this state enjoy the Chepa Pulusu and Royya pulusu.

In Egypt, there is an acidic chilled drink made from tamarind which is popular in summertime. It is called "tamr hindi".

Tamarind is available in Indian stores worldwide. It is also sold as a candy in Mexico (see for example pulparindo), and in various snack forms in Southeast Asia (dried and salted, dried and candied, as a cold drink). Pad Thai, a Thai dish popular with Europeans and Americans, sometimes includes tamarind for its sour taste (though lime juice and/or white vinegar are more commonly used). A tamarind-based sweet-and-sour sauce served over deep-fried fish is also a common dish in Central Thailand.

Native Philippine TamarindIn Latin America, especially Mexico, and Latin American immigrant communities in the US, the fruit is wildly popular and is fashioned into a drink, "Tamarindo", and many kinds of treats. Many popular Tamarindo concoctions are hard candies and suckers and one of the most popular aguas frescas is flavored with tamarind. Tamarind is a popular food in Mexico and is used in many Mexican candies. Likewise Sino-Peruvian food uses tamarind-based juice for its distinctive sweet flavour.

Trivia
In Mexican slang (especially in Mexico City), the term tamarind also refers to traffic control officers, due to the color of their uniforms.

Tamarind tree is the plant representing Santa Clara city in Cuba. Consequently in appears in the Coat of Arm of the city. Further info: Santa Clara, Cuba

In the state of Tamil Nadu in India, it is believed that ghosts live in tamarind trees and hence, people avoid them after dark.

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