Tamarind pods come from the tamarind tree, which originated in Africa and now grows in many tropical regions. Tamarind is used in Asian, Middle Eastern, Mexican, and South American cuisines.
The sticky pulp of the brown pods has a sweet and sour flavor. It provides tang and acidity to entrees such as pad Thai and chutneys, desserts, beverages, syrups, sauces, and candy. It is a low-glycemic fruit with many beneficial micronutrients, making it a nutritious whole food ingredient.
To approximate the sweetness and tang tamarind brings to recipes, cooks sometimes substitute equal parts brown sugar and lime or lemon juice. But there's more to its flavor: Notes of caramel and molasses give tamarind more complexity, and its acidity is somewhat milder than that of lemon and lime and lacks the hints of bitterness found in citrus.
