Tamarindalso: มะขาม · me · imli

Origin

Native to Africa, naturalised across South and Southeast Asia for at least three thousand years. India, Thailand, and Mexico are the largest producers today.

What it tastes like

Sour with a date-like sweetness underneath. Less sharp than vinegar, less floral than lime; tannic on the back of the palate.

How it's used

Pad thai sauce. Massaman curry. Sambar in South India. The dipping sauce for som tam. Mexican agua de tamarindo. Worcestershire sauce in Britain.

Buying

Sold three ways: whole pods (best, most work), seedless block (most common, soak in hot water for 15 min), and tamarind concentrate (avoid — overly bitter, often too dark). The block, soaked, is the right format for nearly all recipes.

Substitutes

A 1:1 mix of lime juice and brown sugar approximates the sour-sweet character. Worcestershire sauce in tiny amounts adds the tannic note.

Storage

Block: dark cupboard, indefinitely. Pods: cool dark place, 12 months. Reconstituted paste: refrigerated, 2 weeks; frozen in cubes, 6 months.