Tamarind

[yakima]

Yesterday we watched a Food Network show which included tamarind as a required ingredient. Am not familiar with it, looked it up, found some concentrate today.
Comments, experience with, uses?

[barelfly]

I’ve only used it when I make Pad Thai. I’ve made Pad Thai a few different ways and using tamarind is how I prefer to make it because of how much more we enjoyed the dish and seemed to replicate what we’ve had at our favorite Thai restaurant.

There may be other Thai recipes that use it as well?

[bbqLuv]

Here is what I found in the internet.
BTW sound like sweet and sour--sort-of



Tamarind is the sweet‑tangy, sticky pulp found inside the brown pod-like fruit of the tropical tree Tamarindus indica, a leguminous species native to Africa and widely grown across Asia and the Americas.

Overview
Tamarind comes from Tamarindus indica, a long‑lived hardwood tree in the Fabaceae family. It produces curved brown pods
containing seeds surrounded by a thick, sweet‑sour pulp used globally in cooking, traditional medicine, and beverages. Wikipedia Flavor and Culinary Uses

• Flavor: Deep sweet‑and‑sour taste, driven largely by tartaric acid.
• Common uses:
  • South Asian chutneys, curries, rasam, sambar
  • Filipino sinigang
  • Mexican agua fresca
  • Middle Eastern and Caribbean sauces
  • Worcestershire sauce contains tamarind as a key ingredient.

Sounds interesting to me.

[Jerod Broussard]

Meathead has it as a secret optional ingredient for his KC Classic.

https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/barbecue-sauce-recipes/kc-classic-bbq-sauce-recipe/

[texastweeter]

Mine too

[fzxdoc]

Ditto.

[texastweeter]

Use in bbq sauce, stir fry, several mexican dishes and asian dishes.

[SheilaAnn]

I have some in the fridge. I can’t remember what recipe it was for. It’s like brown sugar meets molasses and yet as a hint of savory.

[texastweeter]

And it has some twang to it as well.

[SheilaAnn]

It does! I love tamarind popsicles.

[texastweeter]

Add some chili powder to them popsicles.

[fzxdoc]

That sour component sets it off, to my taste buds, in a good way, balancing the sweet. Like encountering a Sour Patch Kid flavor. Used judiciously in the Indian recipes I frequent. A little goes a long way. I like using the paste best.

Kathryn

[Michael_in_TX]

I've used it once or twice....it's like a tangy brown sugar.