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Tamarind
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By Nik Sharma
Published 2020
When my mother makes her creamy coconut fish stews (see Caldine) and sambhar (a lentil stew from Southern India), she drops in a small ball of soft tamarind pulp (pH 2.46) and lets it work its magic. Worcestershire sauce contains extracts of tamarind, fermented along with a bunch of sweeteners and spices. Though the tamarind tree originated in hot, arid regions of Africa, it made its way to India and other Asian countries, where it quickly became an important souring agent in local cuisines.
It’s the pulp of the tamarind fruit pod that is sour; the ripe fruit is sweet. In Indian cooking, unripe tamarind pods are preferred for their acidity; the active ingredient is tartaric acid. Avoid commercial concentrates; instead, look for fresh or frozen pulp or bottled paste. When making broths or stocks, replace the lemon or vinegar with a bit of a tamarind to add a different type of fruity sourness.
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