Tamarind: The African Date That Conquered Asia
Native to Africa, the tamarind became a cornerstone of Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine. The 2,500-year journey of a sweet-sour pod.
The tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is botanically a legume โ the fruit is a long pod filled with sticky brown pulp around hard seeds. The pulp is sweet-tart, intensely flavorful, and indispensable in Indian, Southeast Asian, Mexican, and African cuisines. Despite the species name "indica" suggesting Indian origin, the tamarind is actually native to tropical Africa.
Origin and history
Native to East and Central Africa, especially Sudan. Arab traders carried tamarind to India over 2,000 years ago โ so completely was it adopted there that Arab and Persian writers called it "tamar hindi" (Indian date), the source of the modern name. The fruit spread throughout South and Southeast Asia, and reached the Americas via Spanish colonial trade.
Where tamarind grows today
India is the world's largest producer, followed by Thailand, Bangladesh, Sudan, Mexico, and Indonesia.
How to grow tamarind
- Climate: Tropical and subtropical. USDA Zones 10-11.
- Soil: Tolerates a wide range; happiest in well-drained loam.
- Sun: Full sun.
- Spacing: 8-12m โ trees grow large.
- Watering: Drought-tolerant once established.
- Fertilizing: Light annual feed.
- First fruit: 6-10 years from seed; 3-5 years from a grafted tree.
Use
Tamarind pulp is dissolved in water and strained to make tamarind water โ the souring agent in Indian sambar, Thai pad thai, Vietnamese canh chua, and Worcestershire sauce. Sweetened tamarind is eaten as candy across Latin America and South Asia.
Bottom line
An African legume that became a Pan-Asian and Pan-Latin cooking staple. Long-lived, drought-tolerant, productive โ a worthy garden tree.