what is tamarind, what is it derived from?

Answer 1

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, but now 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 pulp and many hard-coated seeds. The seeds can be scarified to enhance germination.

Alternative names include Indian date, translation of Arabic تمر هندي 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 India it is called imlee. 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. The tamarind is the provincial tree of the Phetchabun province of Thailand (in Thailand it is called Ma-kham).

Answer 2

[TAM-uh-rihnd] Also known as Indian date, the tamarind is the fruit of a tall shade tree native to Asia and northern Africa and widely grown in India. The large (about 5-inch-long) pods contain small seeds and a sour-sweet pulp that, when dried, becomes extremely sour. Tamarind pulp concentrate is popular as a flavoring in East Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines much like lemon juice is in Western culture. It's used to season full-flavored foods such as chutneys, curry dishes and pickled fish. Additionally, tamarind is used to make a sweet syrup flavoring soft drinks. It's also an integral ingredient in Worcestershire sauce. Tamarind can be found in East Indian and some Asian markets in various forms: jars of concentrated pulp with seeds; canned paste; whole pods dried into "bricks" or ground into powder. Tamarind syrup can be found in Dutch, Indonesian and East Indian markets.

Answer 3

Tamarind is a fruit grown here in the Caribbean. Great for making a spicy amchar, preserve, a sweet we call 'tamarind ball', and even for cooking.

Answer 4

Origin: The tamarind is native to tropical Africa and grows wild throughout the Sudan. It was introduced into India so long ago, it has often been reported as indigenous there also. It is extensively cultivated in tropical areas of the world. Sometime during the sixteenth century, it was introduced into America and today is widely grown in Mexico.

Answer 5

Tamarind is a tropical fruit. Culinarily, it's usually found in the form of a paste, or dried.

Answer 6

tamarind is a fruit

Answer 7

It is a tropical tree fruit with a great tasting juice that comes from the fruit itself.

Answer 8

It's a kind of fruit that grows on an african tree.

Answer 9

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/tamarind.html

Answer 10

this should really help http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/tamarind.html