Tamarind

The tamarind fruit pulp has been an important culinary ingredient in India for a very long time. Almost all parts of the tree find some use or other in food, chemical, pharmaceutical and textile industries, and as fodder, timber and fuel. It is now cultivated throughout semi-arid Africa and South Asia, where it has become naturalized in several regions. It has been planted extensively in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and several African, Australian, Central American and South American countries. The fruit became known in Europe during the Middle Ages. Tamarind fruit was at first thought to be produced by an Indian palm, as the name tamarind comes from a Persian word ‘Tamar-I-hind’, meaning date of India. Its name ‘amlika’ in Sanskrit indicates its ancient presence in the country. In Myanmar it is reported as one of the commonest village trees in the dry zone.