The Science of Spice

Flavour Group | SWEET-SOUR ACIDS | Tamarind 155

Remove traces of

pulp and roast in

a dry frying pan.

Soak the seeds in

water and peel off

the protective coat.

Boil the seed

kernels, or fry

them in oil.

The principal flavour compounds of

tamarind readily dissolve in water – unusual

among spices – so there is no need to fry

in oil to release the flavours.

RELEASE THE FLAVOUR

Derived from fruit pulp, the distinctive

chemical components of tamarind make

it an effective flavouring for water-based

dishes, and give it a long shelf life.

BLENDING SCIENCE

The principal flavour compounds of tamarind are the fruity aldehydes furfural and phenyl acetaldehyde. Having

scant supply of oil, there are relatively small amounts of rapidly evaporating flavour molecules, so tamarind has

only a mild aroma, but citrusy limonene is present in sufficient amounts for its fragrance to be detected.

FOOD PARTNERS

Vegetables Drizzle a little tamarind

juice into a yogurt dip for cauliflower or

onion pakoras.

Fish Combine with raw sugar and

chillies for a dipping sauce with fish.

Pork and lamb Mix paste or juice

with soy sauce and ginger as a marinade

for pork or lamb.

Bulgar wheat Make a dressing

with liquid or diluted paste, pomegranate

molasses, olive oil, and Middle Eastern

herbs and spices, then drizzle over a

bulgur wheat salad.

Drinks Make your own "tamarind-

ade", combining strained liquid with

sparkling water or soda, adding sugar

to taste, and serving over ice.

Kitchen

creativity

In Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and India, tamarind plays an essential role in

chutneys, sauces, curries, soups, and drinks. Its fruity-sour taste helps to temper

fiery dishes. It is often used as a fruitier-tasting alternative to lemon juice.

bring out luscious

aromas with similar

compounds:

vanilla is a good

match with its

honeyed flavour

compounds and heady

mix of sweet aromas

pair sharp with

sweet for spice

harmony:

cinnamon

contains sweet

cinnamaldehyde,

which complements

tamarind’s high

sugar content

licorice’s

intensely sweet

glycyrrhizin makes

a perfect sweet-

sour match

pair with another

furfural:

sesame's shared

furfural makes it

an unusual but

effective partner,

balancing richness

with tamarind’s

sour fruitiness

accentuate aromas

with other citrusy

compounds:

ginger shares

limonene and adds

flowery notes,

especially when fresh

lime shares

limonene and adds a

green citrus tang

black pepper

carries limonene,

making it an excellent

partner in spicy blends

TARTARIC ACID

AND SUGARS

sour | acidic | sharp

2-PHENYL

ACETALDEHYDE

chocolate | cocoa |

honey

FURFURAL

sweet | bready |

almond

LIMONENE

citrus | herby |

turpentine

Don't ditch the seeds!

Tough tamarind seeds can in fact

be made palatable, and need not

be discarded after extracting the

“juice” from a block. They have

a pleasant peanut-like taste. High acid and sugar content prevents

the growth of bacteria, so a block can

be stored for a year or more.

Acids and

sugars comprise

50 per cent of

pulp mass

TAMARIND

Ta

154-155_Tamarind.indd 155 04/06/2018 15:48