How to Eat Tamarind, a Sweet-Tangy Ingredient You Should Always Have on Hand

Tamarind is a beguiling tropical fruit shaped like a winged bean pod, which makes perfect sense when you consider that it's also a legume. (All will be explained below.) Its unique taste veers from sweet to sour, and also defies easy categorization. We caught up with a chef and a produce expert to better understand the different types of tamarind and how to enjoy it in sundry sweet and savory applications.

What Is Tamarind?

Native to tropical Africa, and cultivated in India, Pakistan, Thailand, Africa, the Caribbean, and other tropical and subtropical areas, tamarind is the edible plant of a hardwood tree (Tamarindus indica). It's sometimes referred to as the "date of India," and, in fact, tamarind pods are filled with sticky, fibrous, seed-stippled pulp with a date-like consistency.

It's a Fruit and a Legume

Like peanuts and soybeans, tamarind straddles the fruit-legume divide. Since the pod grows from the flower of a plant and has seeds, it's a fruit. The tamarind tree, however, is part of the legume family (Fabaceae), which makes it a kind of legume, or seed-bearing fruit.

The pods transform from green to brown with maturity, and look similar to lima beans or green beans, notes Arvinder Vilkhu, president and co-executive chef of Saffron, an upscale Indian restaurant in New Orleans.

Taste and Texture

Even if you consider yourself a tamarind rookie, newsflash: if you've tasted packaged Worcestershire sauce, you've experienced the sweet, sour, and savory wonders of tamarind, a key ingredient in this cooking staple. 

As to the raw pulp, the taste and texture ricochet, depending on the variety and its maturation stage.

Underripe: "The flavor profile varies as per ripeness," points out Rutul Joshi, director of produce merchandising for FreshDirect, an online grocer. "When underripe, it tastes sour, like sour cherries." The flesh is green and hard.

Fully ripe: "When it's ripe, its taste is mildly acidic, combined with caramel or dates with lemon," Joshi notes. With time, the pulp becomes reddish-brown, juicy, and paste-like. "It's sweet and tangy, with a chocolatey texture," adds Vilkhu.

Sweet or Sour

Some of the most popular types of tamarind include:

• East Indian Tamarind: The pulp is more sour than other varieties, and the pods are lankier, with six to 12 seeds.
• West Indian Tamarind: Both sweet and sour, its pods are stubbier, with six or fewer seeds.
• Thai Sweet Tamarind: The pulp is sweet, and the pods are plumper and more elongated. 

How to Buy Tamarind

Tamarind comes in several forms, and can be enjoyed raw, as is—or as an ingredient.

Raw Pods: The raw pods are the least processed form, and the pulp can be easily removed. "I usually like eating it in raw form, breaking open the pods, just like eating shelled peanuts," Joshi says. "You can also boil it after opening up the pods to make juice or paste." (Consuming the shell and seeds isn't recommended.)

Pressed blocks: Blocks of pressed pulp, compacted with or without seeds, are the closest thing to raw tamarind. "To use the blocks, they must be soaked in hot water for 10–15 minutes before cooking, using your hands to massage and then extract the pulp with a strainer," Vilkhu explains. At that point, it can be reduced and seasoned.

Concentrate: The pulp is also boiled down and sold as a concentrate. Joshi notes that several brands of tamarind paste, pulp, and purée are available in the marketplace. Some are frozen, or packaged in jars or plastic tubs, and may contain preservatives or added sugar. To use it, take a spoonful and dissolve it in hot water, which makes it easier to mash or blend into a paste.

Nutritional Benefits

Tamarind is rich in antioxidants, fiber, and magnesium. It's also a good source of potassium, iron, phosphorus, copper, calcium, and vitamins B1, B2, and B3.

How to Eat Tamarind

Tamarind pulp, paste, syrup, and purée can be incorporated into all kinds of dishes and condiments, adjusting the amount according to taste. Here are some ideas to jumpstart experimentation.

Savory

Chutneys: Tamarind's flavors hit just the right note for chutneys. At his restaurant, Saffron, Vilkhu makes a lentil pancake dish called Crab Pudha, with lump crab meat, mint chutney, and date-tamarind chutney. Both chutneys also top his savory chickpea masala snack, Potato Nest Chaat. Joshi pairs tamarind-spiked chutney with samosas or sandwiches. Tweak our Quick Pear Chutney with a spoonful and serve it with our Shrimp Tikka Masala.

Rice: Some cultures add tamarind to rice, Joshi notes. A South Indian dish called puliyogare, for instance, is made by tempering white rice with spices like asafoetida, mustard seeds, fenugreek, and curry leaves, plus tamarind paste or juice, in oil. Our recipe for Madhur's Spiced Basmati Rice could be your starting point.

Marinades: Tamarind amps up marinades for meat, Joshi says. It's pitch-perfect in our Worcestershire-boosted Marinated Beef Tenderloin.

Salad Dressings: Tamarind enlivens salads, too. At Saffron, Vilkhu serves a mango and tomato salad with a tamarind dressing. Make our Sesame-Soy Vinaigrette sing by adding a hint of tamarind paste.

Sweet

Jams: Jellies, jams, and spreads also take flight with a touch of tamarind. Add a dollop to our Fig Spread, a transcendent topper for crostini, or a stack of toast.

Confections: Tamarind's multi-faceted flavors also satisfy sweet tooths. Soft, chewy tamarind balls made from pulp and sugar are popular in Mexico and the Caribbean. Vilkhu says he grew up eating tamarind candies made from pods coated in granular sugar. "Sometimes I get a craving for it, that flavor never leaves you as you get older," he says.

Desserts: Tamarind paste pairs well with dates and chocolate in cakes and sweets. Blend a dab into our Dark Chocolate-Walnut Bar—or to add a caramel-like lift to our Fudgy Double-Chocolate Brownies.

Ice cream: Tamarind's tanginess can offset the sweetness of condensed milk when you add a little to our No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream.