Tamarind
Tamarind
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Other names: Tamarinier, Tintiri, Imlee, Imli
Origin: Africa
Tree Height: Up to 80 ft.
Season: February - May (in FL)
Cold Hardiness: 26°F
Fruit Description: An indehiscent legume, sometimes called a pod, 4.5-6 in. in length, with a hard, brown shell. Has a fleshy, juicy, acidic pulp. Pods may be cinnamon-brown or grayish-brown externally and are tender-skinned with green, highly acid flesh and soft, whitish, under-developed seeds. As they mature, the pods fill out somewhat and the juicy, acidulous pulp turns brown or reddish-brown. The tamarinds of Asia have longer pods (containing 6-12 seeds), whereas African and West Indian varieties have shorter pods (containing 1-6 seeds).
More Info: The food uses of the tamarind are many, as well as the uses for other attributes of the plant. The leaves are eaten by cattle and goats, and furnish fodder for silkworms. Bark from young trees yields a low-quality fiber used for twine and string. Some African tribes venerate the tamarind tree as sacred. To certain Burmese, the tree represents the dwelling-place of the rain god and some hold the belief that the tree raises the temperature in its immediate vicinity.
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a leguminous tree in the family Fabaceae indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus Tamarindus is a monotypic taxon (having only a single species).
The tamarind tree produces pod-like fruit that contains an edible pulp used in cuisines around the world. Other uses of the pulp include traditional medicine and metal polish. The wood can be used for woodworking and tamarind seed oil can be extracted from the seeds. Its tender young leaves are used in Indian cuisine, especially in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.[5] Because of tamarind's many uses, it is cultivated around the world in tropical and subtropical zones.