Tamarind monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future
Tamarind monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future
Tamarind monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future
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e haunted by spirits and is worshipped on a day called ‘Amli Agiaras’.<br />
Hindus may also tie a tamarind tree to a mango tree be<strong>for</strong>e eating <strong>the</strong> fruits<br />
of <strong>the</strong> latter and in effect ‘marry’ <strong>the</strong> species.<br />
The natives of India consider that <strong>the</strong> neighbourhoods in which tamarind<br />
trees grow become unwholesome, and that it is unsafe to sleep under <strong>the</strong> tree<br />
owing to <strong>the</strong> acid <strong>the</strong>y exhale during <strong>the</strong> night (Grieve, 1995). According to<br />
Morton (1987), few plants survive beneath <strong>the</strong> tamarind tree due to its heavy<br />
shade and <strong>the</strong>re is a superstition that it is harmful to sleep or to tie a horse<br />
beneath <strong>the</strong> tree, due to <strong>the</strong> corrosive effect that fallen leaves have on fabrics<br />
in damp wea<strong>the</strong>r. <strong>Tamarind</strong> is also used to <strong>for</strong>ecast <strong>the</strong> wea<strong>the</strong>r conditions<br />
by <strong>the</strong> tribal societies in Rajasthan, India. When <strong>the</strong> fruit is longer than<br />
usual, splendid wea<strong>the</strong>r with abundant rain is <strong>for</strong>ecast promising high yields<br />
of grain and pulse crops (Joshi, 1985).<br />
Some African tribes also venerate <strong>the</strong> tamarind tree as sacred. In Malawi,<br />
tamarind bark soaked with corn is given to domestic fowl in <strong>the</strong> belief that,<br />
if <strong>the</strong>y stray or are stolen, it will induce <strong>the</strong>m to return home. To certain<br />
Burmese, <strong>the</strong> tree represents <strong>the</strong> dwelling-place of <strong>the</strong> rain god and some<br />
hold <strong>the</strong> belief that <strong>the</strong> tree raises <strong>the</strong> temperature in its immediate vicinity.<br />
In Malaya, a little tamarind and coconut milk is placed in <strong>the</strong> mouth of an<br />
infant at birth, and <strong>the</strong> bark and fruit are given to elephants to make <strong>the</strong>m<br />
wise.<br />
3.4 Fruit and Food Products<br />
3.4.1 Pulp<br />
<strong>Tamarind</strong> is valued mostly <strong>for</strong> its fruit especially <strong>the</strong> pulp, which is used <strong>for</strong><br />
a wide variety of domestic and industrial purposes (Kulkarni et al., 1993).<br />
<strong>Tamarind</strong> is not generally a dessert fruit, although <strong>the</strong> sweet tamarind is<br />
often eaten fresh directly from <strong>the</strong> pod, almost always so in <strong>the</strong> West Indies<br />
and o<strong>the</strong>r parts of MesoAmerica. Fully grown but still unripe fruits are also<br />
eaten in <strong>the</strong> Bahamas; known as ‘swells’, <strong>the</strong>y are roasted in coal, <strong>the</strong> skin is<br />
<strong>the</strong>n peeled back and <strong>the</strong> sizzling pulp is dipped in wood ash and eaten<br />
(Morton, 1987). The pulp is usually removed from <strong>the</strong> pod and used to<br />
prepare juice, jam, syrup and candy. In Asia however, <strong>the</strong> immature green<br />
pods are often eaten by children and adults dipped in salt as a snack.<br />
More commonly, <strong>the</strong> acidic pulp is used as a favourite ingredient in culinary<br />
preparations such as curries, chutneys, sauces, ice cream and sherbet in<br />
countries where <strong>the</strong> tree grows naturally (Dalziel, 1937; Eggeling and Dale,<br />
1951; Little and Wadsworth, 1964). In Sri Lanka, tamarind is widely used in<br />
cuisine as an alternative to lime and also in pickles and chutneys (Jayaweera,<br />
1981). It is also used in India, to make ‘tamarind fish’, a sea-food pickle,<br />
which is considered a great delicacy. Immature tender pods are used as<br />
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