Description
Tamarind is a brown pod-like legume native to Africa. The fruit contains a soft acidic pulp and many hard-coated seeds. They grow in great abundance along new branches. The unripe fruit pulp is edible but very sour. The ripened fruit is less sour and somewhat sweeter.
 
Main nutrients
Calcium, choline, fiber, folate, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamin, vitamin C and K.
 
Preparation
The quickest way to get to the pulp, is to break the shell by hand and remove the sticky pulp with your fingers. The pulp can be eaten directly or further prepared, by cooking it.
 
Consumption
The hard drinks, or as a snack. While some cuisines even use tamarind to make candy. Tamarind can also be added to soups, stews and other cooked dishes.
 
When to eat
When the pulp of the tamarind is still green, it can be ripened at room temperature. Keep ripe tamarind refrigerated and consume within a few days.

green pulp of a unripe tamarind cannot be consumed directly, but is often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripe fruit is used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened.

 
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