Tamarind

Tamarindus indica · imli · tetul

Sourness with a shadow of sweetness — the pod that balances a plate.

What it is

Tamarind is the pulp from the seed pods of a large tropical tree — sticky, dark, and intensely sour with a raisin-like depth behind the acidity. It is the subcontinent’s workhorse souring agent, sold as compressed blocks of pulp, as a ready concentrate, or as whole pods.

Where it comes from

The tree came originally from tropical Africa and naturalised across the subcontinent and Southeast Asia so long ago that it reads as native. It is grown and used from India to Thailand to the Caribbean.

What it's called

Tamarind · imli (Hindi) · tetul (Bengali). Botanically Tamarindus indica.

In the kitchen

Soak block pulp in warm water and strain to a tangy liquid; whisk concentrate straight in. It sours chutneys, chaats, dals, fish curries and cooling drinks, and does the job lemon does in other cuisines — with more body and a darker, fruitier note.

What we know about the claims

Tamarind brings some fibre and minerals and a lot of natural sugar alongside its acid, but it is used as a seasoning, so read it as flavour. No real caution beyond checking that a concentrate isn’t over-salted or sweetened.

Choosing and buying

Blocks and concentrate are in every South Asian grocer and many supermarkets (UK and US). Seedless block pulp is the most useful; a jar of concentrate is the convenient shortcut.