English - Tamarind
Ayurveda - Thinthrinee
Tamil - Puli
Its native is Sudan, Africa. But, it was introduced to India long ago. It has been adopted into Indian culture until worldwide it has been perpetuates the illusion of Indian origin.
Tamarind fruits are collected/ harvested by shaking the branches or let the ripe fruits fall naturally. The fruit is shelled and sprinkled lightly with salt as preservative. To store it for long the pulp should be steamed or sun dried for several days.
The fruit is generally, sour in taste. But, there are some sweet varieties also, such as "Makhamwaan" from Thailand and "Manila Sweet" from USA.
The pulp of the is rich in calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. Tender or young green fruits are rich in ascorbic acid.
The use:-
Food
1. tender fruit is cooked as seasoning with rice, fish or meat
2. the pulp is soaked and extracted to make chudneys, curries and sauces
3. seeded pulps are coated with sugar to eat as sweetmeats
4. homemade tamarind cordial drinks
5. commercial production of spiced tamarind beverages
In Industry
6. kernels are used to produce 'jellose', 'polyose' or 'pectin' -gel-forming substance.
- It is used in manufacturing jellies, jams and marmalade.
- It can be used to preserve fruits
- It is used as stabilizer in ice cream, mayonnaise and cheese.
- It is used as an ingredient or agent in some pharmaceutical products
7. The powder made from grinding the tamarind kernels are used:-
- to sizing and finishing cotton, jute and spun viscose
- for dressing homemade blankets
- for colour printing of textiles, paper sizing, leather treating
- for manufacturing structural plastic, a type of glue for wood, a stabilizer in bricks, a binder in sawdust briquettes and a thickener in some explosives
- painting dolls and idols as it produce amber oil which works as illuminant or varnish
7. Its wood it hard, heavy, strong , durable and insect resistance. It is a good source for:-
- furniture, tool handles, wheel, panelling, planks for boats, ploughs, rice pounders, mortars and
pestles etc.
- charcoal for manufacturing gun-powder
- fuel for brick kiln
- ashes for tanning and de-hairing goat-skin
- young stems for walking sticks
Medicine
8. The tamarind pulp preparation is used as :-
- refrigerants in fevers
- laxatives
- combating flatulence
- remedy for biliousness or bile disorders
- pulp extract and salt mixture (diluted) to gargle for sore throat
- pulp extract and salt mixture (thick) applied as ointments for rheumatism and sun strokes
- pulp extract for the restoration of senses for paralysis cases
- tamarind drinks for digestion and alcoholic intoxication
- vermifuge domestic animals - cattle, goats, elephant
9. The tamarind leaves and flowers (dried and boiled) are used as :-
- bandages for swollen joints, sprains and boils
- treating Pink eye (Madras eye/conjunctivitis)
- antiseptic
- treating dysentery
- combating jaundice
- curing erysipelas (red skin)
- treating hemorrhoids
10. The bark of the tree (fried with salt and powdered)
- cures indigestion and colic
- herbal drinks curbs gingivitis, asthma and eye inflammations
- ashes are applied open sores and rashes
11. The tamarind roots are made herbal drinks to cure :-
- chest complaints
- leprosy
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