Tamarind

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Tamarind (lat. Tamarindus indica) - a plant called the Indian date and belonging to the legume family.

Description

Tamarind is capable of reaching a height of twenty meters. In areas with dry seasons, it is also an evergreen plant. By the way, outwardly this tree is somewhat reminiscent of an acacia. The wood of a handsome tamarind consists of soft yellowish sapwood and a fairly dense core of rich dark red shades (it is also called heartwood).

The alternately arranged paired tamarind leaves are formed by ten to forty thin leaves. And the five-membered pink flowers are collected in rather colorful inflorescences and differ in an irregular shape.

Tamarind fruits look like brownish beans, which are about two to three centimeters wide and about twenty centimeters long. Inside each fruit there is a huge amount of plump seeds and a fairly fleshy pericarp. By the way, to speed up the germination of seeds, they are often cut.

This crop is actively grown in almost all tropical countries.

Usage

The edible pulp of the delicious tamarind fruit has long been used as a spice in Latin American and rather peculiar Asian cuisine. In addition, it is one of the most important ingredients of the long-loved in the UK HP Fruit Sauce and the infamous Worcester Sauce. The rather sour pulp of unripe fruits is widely used for the preparation of a wide variety of spicy dishes. A much sweeter ripe tamarind is perfect for preparing all kinds of snacks, original drinks and wonderful desserts.

The pulp of tamarind fruits is often preserved in sugar syrup - such a delicacy looks like a viscous brownish mass with a very pleasant fruity sweet-sour taste.

Tamarind is also considered an integral part of the cuisine of southern India - there, with its addition, kuzamba, countless variations of chutney and many other dishes are prepared. And tamarind sauce is often served with lamb dishes.

In a number of Asian countries, tamarind pulp is also used in temples - with its help, brass jewelry is quickly cleaned of patina, accumulated fat and various oxides.

A very peculiar tamarind wood, characterized by a rich reddish hue, as well as unprecedented strength and high density, has long been used for the manufacture of high-quality floor coverings and excellent furniture. And from the twigs of this tree, rods were once made.

In southern India, sprawling tamarind trees are planted along roads to create shade over them. By the way, the numerous monkeys living there are very fond of eating juicy fruits.

The fruits of this unusual exotic culture contain pectin substances, invert sugar and organic acids. Quite often they are used as a delicate laxative (especially good for children). Pectin is produced from the pulp of tamarind, and tamarind infusion is an excellent drink for fever.

The thiamine contained in these fruits is vital for the human body to maintain the health of the musculoskeletal system, as well as the nervous and digestive systems. Iron perfectly supplies the body with oxygen, and potassium contributes to the proper functioning of smooth muscles and heart.

The bark, leaves and pulp of fruits have been used in medicine since time immemorial. In Ayurveda, with their help, they cure diseases of the digestive tract, and in the Philippines, the leaves of this plant are an excellent raw material for the preparation of medicinal herbal tea that can relieve feverish conditions in malaria.

Tamarind is also considered the official Santa Clara tree in Cuba - the image of this plant can be seen on the city's coat of arms.

It is noteworthy that it is customary to call traffic controllers "tamarind" in the popular Mexican slang - this is due to the characteristic color of their very original attire.