One of my favorite things to do in a grocery store or at the farmer's market is to watch what people buy in the produce section, and when someone buys something that I've never seen, heard of, or eaten before, I ask what they do with it and learn something new!
Yesterday I met a woman who was raised in Jamaica, and she introduced me to tamarind as she collected the dry, brittle, brown pods into a bag, When mature, the tamarind skin is a brittle, easily-cracked shell and the pulp is a sticky paste enclosed by a few coarse strands of fiber extending lengthwise from the stalk. Inside the pulp are hard, glossy-brown squarish-shaped seeds enclosed in a parchment-like membrane.
Tamarind is commonly used in sauces, chutneys, Worcestershire sauce, and candies. In terms of nutrition, 100 g of tamarind (about 3.5 oz) is a good source of thiamine (vitamin B1, 37% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA)), magnesium (26% RDA), iron (22% RDA), phosphorous (16% RDA), riboflavin and niacin (vitamins B2 & B3, 13% RDA each), and potassium (13% RDA).
The woman told me that in Jamaica, they break away the outer shell and suck on the sticky paste-like pulp. I bought one and tried it. It had the texture of a date, and tasted to me like sweet and sour molasses. It was very good!
Tamarind is commonly used in sauces, chutneys, Worcestershire sauce, and candies. In terms of nutrition, 100 g of tamarind (about 3.5 oz) is a good source of thiamine (vitamin B1, 37% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA)), magnesium (26% RDA), iron (22% RDA), phosphorous (16% RDA), riboflavin and niacin (vitamins B2 & B3, 13% RDA each), and potassium (13% RDA).
The woman told me that in Jamaica, they break away the outer shell and suck on the sticky paste-like pulp. I bought one and tried it. It had the texture of a date, and tasted to me like sweet and sour molasses. It was very good!
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