Tamarind: A Beloved Folk Remedy – High cholesterol

Never heard of tamarind? Well, it’s likely you’ve tasted it. Tamarind is the key spice that gives Worcestershire sauce its defining flavor—and long shelf life.

In many African countries, the pod and seeds of the tamarind tree aren’t famous as a food but as a folk remedy, used to fight respiratory infections, fevers, digestive upset, and constipation, help speed wound healing, and prevent sunstroke. (A recent review in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology of tamarind’s use as a traditional medicine in West and East Africa cited more than 60 scientific references.) Around the world, tamarind is used for many other health problems, including as a gargle for sore throats and a liniment to ease aching joints. The spice is so potently curative that in animal experiments Indian researchers found it could neutralize venom from one of the world’s deadliest snakes, the Russell’s viper.

Tamarind’s healing action comes from its powerful antioxidants, including tartaric acid (also found in bananas and grapes), which are concentrated in the seedpods. Tartaric acid is also what gives tamarind its characteristic sour taste. Additionally, tamarind pulp is a good source of calcium, and the B vitamins riboflavin, niacin, and thiamine. Together, these and other phytonutrients make tamarind a healing spice with a diverse set of talents.

Eyeing the Healing Power of Tamarind

Preliminary research shows that tamarind may help protect and heal the eye.

Dry eye syndrome. Dry eyes are the number one reason for visits to the eye doctor, with 30 percent of Americans suffering from dry eye disorder—the stinging, burning, and grittiness that comes from a tear film that’s not functioning at its best. Italian researchers treated 30 people with dry eye syndrome, using either eye drops made from hyaluronic acid (a common treatment) or tamarind. After three months, the patients using tamarind reported significantly better levels of relief from several symptoms—burning, trouble blinking, and the sensation of having something in the eye. The researchers theorize that tamarind extract works so well to stay on and soothe dry eyes because its molecular structure is similar to the mucins (the proteins in mucous) that are found on the cornea and in the tear duct.

The research is preliminary, and as of this writing eye drops with tamarind seed extract, or tamarind seed polysaccharides (TSP), are not yet available.

Bacterial keratitis. In animal research TSP drops used with an antibiotic helped speed the healing of a corneal infection called bacterial keratitis.

Pink eye. Similarly, TSP drops helped speed the healing of conjunctivitis (pink eye) in experimental animals.

Cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Exposure to cell-damaging UVB radiation from the sun isn’t only a risk factor for skin cancer—it also raises the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration, two common eye problems in older people. In a test tube study, Italian researchers found tamarind drops helped protect corneal cells from UVB damage.

The Many Talents of Tamarind

Scientists are finding several other ways tamarind may prevent and heal disease.

High cholesterol. Researchers in Pakistan asked 30 healthy people to take either tamarind extract or a placebo for one month. Those taking tamarind had a 13 point drop in total cholesterol and a 20 point drop in “bad” LDL cholesterol. They also had a small drop in diastolic blood pressure (the lower reading).

In animal research, scientists in Brazil found tamarind decreases total cholesterol, lowers “bad” LDL, increases “good” HDL, and lowers triglycerides, another blood fat. “Together these results indicate the potential of tamarind extracts in diminishing the risk of atherosclerosis development in humans,” the researchers concluded in Food and Chemical Toxicology.

In a test tube study, the same team of researchers found that tamarind affected human immune cells (neutrophils) in a way that could reduce the inflammation that underlies the development of cardiovascular disease.

Kidney stones. Tamarind is eaten daily in the tropical south of India, where the cuisine is hot and mostly vegetarian, both of which take well to an infusion of the sour spice. Kidney stones are rare in the people of South India compared to people who live in the North, where tamarind isn’t as popular. Could there be a connection between eating tamarind and the low rate of kidney stones in South India? To find out, researchers at the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad asked four men to eat a diet rich in foods likely to form the calcium oxalate crystals that comprise most kidney stones. After one week on the diet, the men added tamarind extract. The researchers tested the men’s urine before and after adding tamarind—and the addition of the extract lowered levels of several parameters that increase the risk of forming stones. “Consumption of tamarind offers some protection against the recurrence of calcium oxalate stones in men,” concluded the researchers in the journal Nutrition Research.

The tamarind tree rises to 100 feet. Its pods are the source of the spice.

Cancer. Indian researchers found that tamarind extract slowed the growth of colon cancer in experimental animals.

Diabetes, type 1. Tamarind is a traditional treatment for diabetes in India. In animal experiments, Indian researchers lowered blood sugar in animals with drug-induced type 1 diabetes (the autoimmune disease that destroys the cells of the insulin-generating pancreas). Tamarind “may have beneficial effects in Type-1 diabetes mellitus,” the researchers concluded in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.

Getting to Know Tamarind

Native to tropical Africa, the majestic tamarind tree—which rises to 100 feet and spans 30 feet—is appreciated for the shade it supplies in the countries of the “tropical belt” that circles the world. Tamarind trees are practically indestructible. The deep root system and big burly trunk help the tree survive high winds, and it is highly resistant to drought. Mysteriously, no other vegetation grows beneath its widespread canopy of pale-green flowering leaflets that sag like a weeping willow, making the shady circle of a tamarind tree the perfect spot for an afternoon picnic (or nap). The leaflets are stunning as they bend from the weight of the elongated pods and then close up at night. As the pods brown in the sun, they produce the spice’s hallmark prune-like sourness.

The “Secret” of Worcestershire Sauce

Worcestershire sauce is an English invention that came about by accident during the mid-1840s. According to culinary legend, the owners of a chemist’s shop in Worcester (bordering the scenic Cotswolds in the English countryside) made a barrel of spiced vinegar according to an old Indian recipe for a customer who never showed up to claim it.

The concoction sat and fermented in the shop’s cellar for years. The owners, John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrin, figured it had spoiled and told a clerk to throw it out. The clerk, however, got a whiff of the concoction and decided to taste it. The barrel was not spoiled and had, in fact, undergone an intriguingly tasty change.

The owners bottled the sauce and sold it as Lea and Perrin’s Worcestershire Sauce. The rest, as they say, is history. The sauce, now distributed and well-known worldwide, is used to flavor grilled meats and is a popular ingredient in the Bloody Mary cocktail. The American ketchup-making company H. J. Heinz purchased Lea and Perrin’s in 2005 and still sells the condiment under the original label.

The recipe is said to be secret, though it is known to contain tamarind, cloves, anchovies, onions, and garlic. There are many imitation brands of Worcestershire, but connoisseurs say none come close to matching Lea and Perrin’s secret recipe.

Unlike many tropical spices that must be hand-picked and tenderly handled, all that’s required to harvest tamarind is a person brave enough to climb the tree and shake the pods.

When harvested, the shells and seeds are removed and the pulp compressed into acidifying cakes. As the pulp is exposed to air it begins to oxidize and turn dark, almost black. It takes on a sharp, tingly, and intensely acidic taste, making it a perfect souring agent.

Tamarind is to the East what lemon is to the West. It is the most popular souring agent in most tropical countries, and is a key ingredient in the cuisines of India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. It is used as a paste, syrup, and juice. Only the paste is strong enough for the cuisine of South India, where it is used to flavor fiery fish curries, vindaloos, and vegetarian dishes. It also goes in chowder-like vegetarian stews called sambars and soups called rasams. A tamarind dip is made for deep-fried snacks called samosas. In North India, batter-fried dumplings called dahi vada float in a sauce made from tamarind and yogurt.

Tamarind, which is called assam in Asia, is used in the marinade to made Malaysia’s famed satays, and is in the dipping sauces that accompany them. It is also used in the hot and sour soups of China, Thailand, and Singapore. Tamarind paste gives a tang to Asian stir-fries.

In Thailand, the pulp is dusted with sugar and eaten as a sweetmeat. In the West Indies, the seeds are sugared and compressed into patties. In the Philippines, sweet potatoes are added to the patties to make a sweet treat called champoy.

In Jamaica, tamarind is used in jams, syrups, and in Jamaican pickapeppa sauce, a condiment popular in the US.

Tamarind has a cool, refreshing taste, which makes it popular as a beverage in tropical lands. In India, the drink is infused with rosewater and lemon juice and sipped after dinner on hot evenings. Tamarind is diluted and sugar is added to make a soft drink in Jamaica and Latin American countries.

Tamarind may help prevent and/or treat:

Cancer

Cataracts

Cholesterol problems (high total cholesterol, high “bad” LDL cholesterol, low “good” HDL cholesterol)

Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Diabetes, type 1

Dry eye syndrome

Eye infection, bacterial keratitis

Heart disease

High blood pressure (hypertension)

Kidney stones

Macular degeneration,

age-related

Triglycerides (high)

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Tamarind pairs well with these spices:

Ajowan

Amchur

Chile

Clove

Galangal

Garlic

Ginger

Sun-dried

tomato

Turmeric

and complements recipes featuring:

Asian soups

Chutneys

Curry pastes

Peanuts

Pickled foods

Stir-fries

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Other recipes containing tamarind:

Brussels Sprouts Kulambu

Onion and Tomato Chutney

Throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, and Latin America, tamarind makes a popular sweet and sour candy. Sweetened balls of tamarind are rolled in sugar and sometimes spiced with chile, which is calledpulparindo (as well as other names).

In addition to Worcestershire sauce, tamarind is also an ingredient in another popular American cocktail condiment—Angostura bitters.

How to Buy Tamarind

Most Indian and Asian grocers sell tamarind in plastic-wrapped blocks—a sticky fibrous mass of oxidized dark brown-to-black pulp. You extract the flavor by soaking the paste in hot water and squeezing it out. Tamarind blocks are imported from India and Thailand. The two are quite different in texture and taste, though both deliver the desired sourness. Indian tamarind is fairly dry, with a paper-like texture. The Thai variety is cleaner-looking, but very sticky. Thai is more appealing aesthetically but the Indian tamarind is easier to handle.

Tamarind is also sold as a concentrate, and as a dried and ground powder. They, too, must be diluted. The concentrate is easiest to work with; many Indians living in the US buy and use the concentrate for its convenience. You can find it in large jar containers in any Indian grocery store, where it looks a lot like apple butter. If you’re not familiar with tamarind, you might want to consider buying a concentrate for your first try. Tamarind powder, called cream of tamarind or assam powder, is harder to find.

Due to its high acid content, tamarind is very stable and requires no special storage conditions. Blocks should be kept in airtight packages to prevent them from drying out.

In the Kitchen with Tamarind

Tamarind tastes like lemon or lime with an edge. It is nose-puckering sour, so keep this in mind when cooking with it. A little goes a long way. Tamarind delivers a tang and adds an appetizing rich dark color to gravies, stir-fries, soups, stews, curries, chutneys, and sauces that you cannot get from a lemon or lime.

You’ll come across the pulp as an ingredient most often in Indian recipes, which are heavy on spices. Usually, however, the recipe calls for tamarind water or tamarind juice. The terms “tamarind water” and “tamarind juice” are used interchangeably and refer to the same thing. The water/juice can be made out of tamarind in all its forms.

Tamarind Sauce

This savory-sweet sauce from the Caribbean is superb over baked, grilled, and fried fish. It also makes a great dipping sauce for Asian dumplings and a topping for baked brie.

 cup tamarind water

5 tablespoons brown sugar

½ cup diced onions

1 clove garlic, diced

2 dried red chiles, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons pineapple juice

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine the tamarind water (see the instructions for making tamarind water below) and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the onions, garlic, and chiles and stir for three minutes. Add the soy sauce and pineapple juice and stir. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and black pepper.

Makes about 1 cup.

To make tamarind water from a block, break off a piece about one inch in diameter and soak it in ½ cup of hot water for about 15 minutes. Stir and press it. Strain it, squeezing out as much water as possible and discard the dried pulp.

To make tamarind water from a concentrate, soak ¼ cup of tamarind in 1 cup of boiling water for about 15 minutes and strain. It doesn’t have a lot of staying power to stay fresh in the refrigerator for more than a few days, but you can make it in large batches and freeze it in ice cube trays. When you want to make a sweet and sour dish, or you need a souring agent to perk up a recipe, just plop in a cube of tamarind water.

Tamarind pulp and tamarind water cannot be used interchangeably.