Semi-ripe and ripe tamarind (Tamarindus indica)

For the children of the not so distant past, the first day of March brings on the feelings of sweet anticipation. For one, the end of the school year would only be in a few weeks then the long summer vacation would be in full swing.

Summer, what delight it brings! Days of endless leisure, free from schoolwork and the freedom to do anything the desires of one’s heart! Ah, summer!

I am not sure how today’s generation view the coming of the summer season given the initial ravages of climate change, when summer can sometimes be felt in October or other months. However, children being children, I am sure everyone looks forward to climbing trees laden with fruits. And what fruits we have!

Just on our street, along the main road in the town proper, there are caimito, duat, mangga, chico and perhaps a few more. The families having known each other for generations would routinely distribute their harvests that it sometimes looks like an exchange gift of fruit baskets. One of the exchanges that I eagerly look forward to is around this time, when we give out our chicos and we receive sampaloc from the neighbours from the other side of the bridge.

Common sampaloc may seem but those of the Lansangs may be one of the sweetest that I have tasted. It makes me wonder, are the tamarind in Africa as sweet?

What brings me to Africa? I found out not too long ago, that the tamarind’s origin is in tropical Africa, possibly in the eastern part of the continent. It may have travelled eastward towards India through early traders and it is from here where it was introduced to Arabs and Persians who named it tamr hindi which means the ‘date of India’ although it is by no means a date. It was also from India that the fruit spread towards the rest of Asia and the Pacific Islands, including the Philippines.

Today, the tamarind is an indispensable ingredient in Asian and South American cuisines. The ripe fruits are often used for curries but also as agua fresca or tamarind ade such as in Mexico. In many parts of Asia, the ripe, brown fruit is shelled and deseeded and used for cooking although in the cuisines of the Philippines and a few Southeast Asian countries such as Myanmar and Vietnam, the use of the unripe fruit for cooking is also prevalent.

Trivia: Worcestershire sauce has tamarind as an important ingredient. It is a British invention inspired by the curries of India.