Tamarind
SO much flavor in just one little pod!
Before getting into today’s condiment flavor deep dive, I wanted to let you know that my 4 go-to face condiments are currently being sold as a bundle on Merit’s website! The brand was kind enough to package up my faves for you with a big boy discount (and every first purchase comes with chic makeup bag that I wear as a literal purse).
Ok now onto the flavor of the week…
Tamarind
Every college town should have a Mexican spot with decent(ish) food and margaritas. This iconic spot for me was Felipe’s. A few nights a week, my friends and I would pretend we didn’t live in freezing cold Boston and go get equally frozen margaritas… Icicle fingers galore. You could always catch me there with a frozen brown marg. Although I’d get weird looks for this surprisingly colored slushy, the second my friends tasted it they were converted. This was a tamarind margarita. I will be sharing my favorite spot in Madrid for a tamarind marg on next week’s city guide :)
What is Tamarind?
Tamarind is a tropical fruit that comes from the tamarind tree (shocker). This tree is native to Africa but can now be found in several tropical regions including India, Pakistan and Mexico. It can grow up to 100 feet (!!!) and produces long pods with hard shells and sticky, fleshy centers we know as “tamarind”. There are actually two varieties of tamarind, sour and sweet!
The flavor? We’ll properly get into this below but sweet tamarind tastes similar to dried apricot with the texture of a date, whereas sour tamarind has a much wider range of flavor. Think roasty toasty sour molasses? Dark, rich caramel with a kick? It’s date-like in terms of texture but packs a surprise sour punch like that of a lime. The pulp is used in many cuisines around the world as an element to infuse dishes with both sweet and sour taste.
Since tamarind is a pod, it looks like a bean - it has a hard shell with sticky flesh surrounding large seeds within. To eat it raw, just crack open the shell and suck the flesh off of the seeds.
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The Flavor
Since my tamarind margarita days, I’ve scoped out tamarind in dishes, condiments and cocktails because I find it imparts a subtle flavor that takes you on a full journey during its consumption. It begins sour and tangy, but then surprises you by settling down and leaving you with a warm, deep sweet aftertaste. It’s incredibly subtle but take a moment and enjoy the aftertaste before your next sip or bite next time you try some.
When pairing it you can go a few ways:
Like the above, pair it with anything tangy, acidic, bright and sour - citrus fruit are a safe bet but lemongrass is another interesting pairing!
On the other hand, you can play around with its aftertaste which is slightly spiced and sweet, similar to a deep caramel or to some molasses. Add some spices to it - cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, ginger… It would taste great in some chai.
Tamarind is the perfect compliment to a margarita because is pairs with the lime due to its similar sour kick but leaves you with a nice sweet and warm aftertaste. I prefer my drinks acidic and low in sugar so this combination works perfectly for my palate. It’s my go to flavor for sweet things - I don’t love overly sweet taste so tamarind is usually the safest bet because while it IS sweet, it also gives you a bit of relief with its acidity.
Around The World
The word tamarind has Arabic origins. When Arab sea traders discovered the fruit, they named it “tamr hindi” - tamr is the word for a date palm and hindi for India. Despite the flavors different, the texture of tamarind has similar features to the date, it’s sticky and a bit stringy.
Due to its huge range of flavor it has various uses in many cuisines around the world. While it is particularly prominent in certain Asian cuisines, such Thai and Indian. Growing up in Los Angeles, I mainly consumed tamarind in Mexican cuisine. I drank ate it in beverages and in candies. Little did I know, it’s a common component in Asian curries so I was unknowingly consuming it more often than I had assumed.
Tamarind can be flavoring agent for a numerous range of dishes due to the many tastes it gives off in a singular bite. Think of it as a spice when adding it to a dish or drink.
Although it’s used in many more ways than listed below, here are just a few ways the fruit is consumed around the world:
Philipines - Sinigang (sour soup)
South Africa - Fish Curry (Durban style)
India - Curry, Imli (candy), Chutney
Mexico - Drinks (agua fresca, margaritas), Candy (chili pulparindo omg), Raspados (shaved ice)
marg and agua fresca <3 The Caribbean - Roasted (the unripe green pod) to make marinades, Spice Blends, Chutney
Iran - Ghalieh Mahi (fish stew)
Thailand - Tom Yum (my favorite sour Thai brothy soup), Nam phrik phao (chili jam)
Egypt - Juice (common during Ramadan)
Hawaii - Li hing mui (originally a Chinese salted plum candy, it is commonly made with tamarind in Hawaii)
How to Use It
When shopping for it you may be a bit perplexed as it comes in several forms. You’ll be able to find it as paste, powder, concentrate, fresh, candy, syrup and in blocks. These blocks consist of the pure pulp so you’ll need to dilute it with some water prior to usage. I find that not only is tamarind paste is the easiest one to procure, it’s the easiest one for me to use when cooking. It reminds me of a salty wild plum paste. With just one dollop, I can level up any chutney, marinade or glaze!
It’s a great ingredient in chutneys, to marinate meat, in soups, salad dressings, a glaze and more. Just think of it as a sour component to a dish! It elevates all flavors when paired well because of the many tastes it is able to give off and complement.
If you’re able to get your hands on sweet tamarind, it’s also delicious as a snack on its own.
My greengrocer also taught me that a way to harness its medicinal properties is simply to drink it! Just put a pod in water, let it sit overnight, and drink it the next morning (and nibble on the leftover flesh).
How do you like to eat tamarind? I would love to hear from you!
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I love tamarind, in my country we mostly drink it as a “juice”