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Tamarind - production & trade
Tamarind has been described as one of the common and most important trees of India, where it is used widely in cooking. India is the world's top producer, exporting several thousands of tonnes of seed, seed powder and fruit pulp each year. Tamarind trees are often grown in gardens and along roadsides and are cultivated commercially in plantations.
Cultivation
India is the only producer of tamarind on a commercial scale. A large part of India's production of tamarind is exported to West Asia, Europe and America, where it is used for food specialties like Worcestershire sauce. It is used extensively in Asian cooking and is often used to make juices, soups, chutneys and other savoury dishes.
Both green and ripe fruits are sold whole or pulped in local markets, though sweet fruits tend to gain a higher price. Much of the national harvest goes to processing factories. Here the pulp is separated from the fibre and seed and mashed with salt. It is then packed into bags for sale. Sometimes the pulp is made into balls and sun dried for a week. These ready-to-go packages are sold in markets and shops.
Tamarind is often further processed into drinks, sweets or packaged into more convenient forms for export. In some parts of India, tamarind is made into a jelly by mixing with water and sieving. It is then compressed into moulds and can be cut like cheese when required.
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| Image: Sweet varieties of tamarind are grown in India |
The many tamarind cultivars are divided into two basic categories: sweet and sour. India mainly grows sour cultivars in orchard-like plantations. These are initially set up by planting seedlings out into fields. The trees grow very slowly and take a long time to mature. After perhaps 13 years, young trees begin to bear seed pods during the summer which may take about 8 months to ripen. The trees are long-lasting and may continue to produce fruits each season for up to 60 years.
Harvest and processing
Pods are harvested at different stages of ripeness according to how they are going to be used. Immature green fruits are usually harvested earlier for flavouring, and sweet, riper ones are harvested later. They are often gathered by shaking the tree and collecting the fruits that have fallen.Both green and ripe fruits are sold whole or pulped in local markets, though sweet fruits tend to gain a higher price. Much of the national harvest goes to processing factories. Here the pulp is separated from the fibre and seed and mashed with salt. It is then packed into bags for sale. Sometimes the pulp is made into balls and sun dried for a week. These ready-to-go packages are sold in markets and shops.
Tamarind is often further processed into drinks, sweets or packaged into more convenient forms for export. In some parts of India, tamarind is made into a jelly by mixing with water and sieving. It is then compressed into moulds and can be cut like cheese when required.
