OFF THE SHELF
Black pods of tamarind trees an Asian flavor source

Tamarind paste is sold in some stores. Tamarind has a sweet and sour flavor. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Tamarind pulp, made by removing the shells and seeds from those pods we so blithely hurled at each other, is the secret ingredient in some recipes for hot and sour soup, in Asian dipping sauces, in some curries and in many chutneys and South Asian or Middle Eastern condiments. In old community cookbooks in Hawai'i, you'll often find recipes for refreshing juices made by creating a tamarind concentrate (soak tamarind pulp, with or without seeds, in water; press through a sieve and collect the brown liquid). This concentrate is blended with simple syrup and ice water to make tamarindade, analogous to lemonade.

Tamarind has a tangy flavor that's both sweet and sour, as though you combined lemon or lime with brown sugar.

You can find the pulp in Asian stores, in Chinatown and in supermarkets that have large sections of Asian foods. It may be packed in tubs or jars, as a syrup, as a canned paste or pressed into plastic-wrapped bricks. Stores that cater to Southeast Asians also may stock a tamarind-chili paste called man phrik pao made with garlic, shallots, hot peppers and tamarind.

The tubs or jars of tamarind have been strained and seeded and are ready for use as is. The bricks may or may not be seedless; if the paste contains seeds, press it through a sieve before using. Store tamarind in the refrigerator after opening; it's very attractive to ants.