Tamarind, a fruit in pod form, grows on the tamarind tree, a tropical semi-evergreen native to East Africa and Madagascar. The pulp inside the pod is what's used for cooking: Reddish-brown with a sweet-sour taste, it is a staple of Indian, Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese, Latin, and Caribbean cooking. Tamarind also helps give Worcestershire sauce its distinctive flavor.


Tamarind's tart flavor, along with its floral, caramel, and even smoky notes, adds a brightness that's more exotic and complex than lemon juice or vinegar. Use it for a touch of tangy sweetness in sauces, glazes, salad dressings, drinks, and stir-fries.


Tamarind comes in various forms, including concentrate, paste, and pods. The concentrate—a thick, dark syrup sold in a jar—is ready to use, though it may need to be diluted. The paste, which may contain seeds, is pulp pressed into block form. Both tamarind concentrate and tamarind paste are available at Indian, Latin, Middle Eastern, and Southeast Asian markets. Pods are sold at Latin markets, but using them involves the extra step of extracting the pulp before simmering and straining it.


A good source of vitamin C, tamarind is also prized in tropical countries for its ability to cool down the body and help break a fever. Practitioners of natural medicine use tamarind as an aid to digestive distress, as a sore-throat remedy, and to alleviate sunstroke.


For additional ways with tamarind, use concentrate or prepared pulp in:

Sautéed Shrimp: Mix tamarind with equal parts water, fish sauce, and white wine, and a little brown sugar. Sauté the shrimp with olive oil and shallots until just opaque. Add the sauce; simmer until the sauce coats the shrimp.

Grilled Chicken: Whisk tamarind with orange juice, chicken broth, melted butter, minced garlic, and grated ginger; as the chicken grills, baste it with the tamarind glaze.

Fried Noodles: Use tamarind as the tart element in your favorite pad thai recipe.