What is tamarind?
Tamarind is the fruit of a tropical evergreen tree from West Africa that is now grown in India, South-East Asia and the West Indies. It produces pods filled with dark brown, seed-laced, bittersweet pulp that is used to make chutneys, jams and condiments such as Worcestershire and Jamaican Pickapeppa sauce.
Tamarind is found throughout the world and particularly used to spice up Asian and Latin American cuisines. The Indians use dried tamarind pulp in spice mixes, salads, broths and other dishes and the Chinese use candied tamarind as a garnish for sweet-and-sour soup. The Egyptians use it as a base for a cold summer drink known as tamr hindi and the Mexicans have also developed a popular tamarind-based beverage called Agua de Tamarindo.