THE TAMARIND
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Tamarindus indica
FAMILY: Leguminosae
Tamarind trees have been growing in North Queensland for many years and some of the older ones have reached enormous size. There are, in the Northern Territory, on the coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, large tamarind trees that were growing there before Matthew Flinders sailed around Australia (1802). It is thought that seeds were brought by the Macassar men who came to fish in our area many years before European settlement. They probably brought the tamarinds with them as a source of food on the voyage. Because of this, some seeds were thrown out and germinated along the coast. I saw an enormous old tamarind tree growing on the bank of the Foelsche River within tidal reach.
Tamarindus indica (date of India) is thought to have originated in Tropical East Africa and the tamarinds were taken to India at an early date. Tamarind trees are long-lived; one in Hawaii is known to be 200 years old.
The trees belong to the Leguminosae family and grow to a height of 80 feet, have fine, pinnate leaves and a very small, sweet-smelling yellow, pea-shaped flowers. The red wood is a useful fine-grained timber. Trees are grown from seed and prefer a hot, dry climate. However they like a rich, deep soil. They are slow-growing, but ornamental, particularly when in flush of new growth.
The brown pods, which are up to 8 inches long with a brittle shell, contain 6-8 seeds when ripe. The pulp which is brown and sweetish-acid, can be made into a cooling drink, or added to curries and chutney. At one time it was also used in medicine. In India, the seeds and flowers were eaten, also the young leaves and young pods are edible.
Tamarind pulp is dried commercially and exported from India, Jamaica and Mexico. The shelled pods can also be preserved by putting in an earthenware jar with alternate layers of either pulp and sugar, or pulp and salt. This is ready for later use in curries, drinks etc.
Analysis show that tamarinds contain about 21% sugar and 11% of acids (tartaric, acetic and citric). It is considered to have about the highest sugar and acid contents of any fruits. They also contain protein.
There is a 'sweet tamarind', which is a smaller tree than the common form, with a much smaller pod and smaller seeds, which is also of a different shape - triangular rather than square. The sweet tamarind ripens much earlier in the year than the common tamarind, which ripens in November.
Children love to eat tamarinds and share them with their school friends. This has incurred the displeasure of school bus drivers when shells are left scattered in the bus.
In Upper Burma, the people of one of the villages choose a large tamarind tree as the abode of the Rain God, to which they offer sacrifices and hold a festival to bring rain.
DATE: January 1994
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