Tamarind in India

Native to tropical Africa, the large evergreen tamarind tree spread to India in prehistoric times. From the Hindus, it would seem that the fruit became known to the Arabians. The name of Tamarind derives from the Arabic tamar-u’l-Hind, which means “date of India.”

It would have been Arabs who first brought tamarind across the Persian Gulf from India, influencing the cooking of the southeast of Iran, the Gulf region, and Egypt.

Tamarinds are mentioned by the Arabian writers, who ascribe to them anti-bilious virtues, but dwell particularly on their usefulness in correcting nausea, quenching thirst and allaying febrile excitement.

The abundance of tamarinds in Malabar, Coromandel and also Java was reported to Manuel, king of Portugal in 1516 in the letter of the apothecary Pyres on the drugs of India.

The tree of tamarind is found across Indian cities and villages. India has the largest number of tamarind trees in the world. It used in many South Indian foods such as sambars, fish curries, chutneys and rasams.
Tamarind in India