Tamarind | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
Tribe: | Detarieae |
Genus: |
Tamarindus L. |
Species: | T. indica |
Binomial name | |
Tamarindus indica L. |
|
Synonyms | |
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Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
---|---|
Energy | 239 kcal (1,000 kJ) |
62.5 g
|
|
Sugars | 57.4 |
Dietary fiber | 5.1 g |
0.6 g
|
|
2.8 g
|
|
Vitamins | |
Thiamine (B1) |
(37%)
0.428 mg |
Riboflavin (B2) |
(13%)
0.152 mg |
Niacin (B3) |
(13%)
1.938 mg |
Pantothenic acid (B5) |
(3%)
0.143 mg |
Vitamin B6 |
(5%)
0.066 mg |
Folate (B9) |
(4%)
14 μg |
Choline |
(2%)
8.6 mg |
Vitamin C |
(4%)
3.5 mg |
Vitamin E |
(1%)
0.1 mg |
Vitamin K |
(3%)
2.8 μg |
Minerals | |
Calcium |
(7%)
74 mg |
Iron |
(22%)
2.8 mg |
Magnesium |
(26%)
92 mg |
Phosphorus |
(16%)
113 mg |
Potassium |
(13%)
628 mg |
Sodium |
(2%)
28 mg |
Zinc |
(1%)
0.1 mg |
|
|
|
|
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient Database |
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a leguminous tree in the family Fabaceae indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus Tamarindus is a monotypic taxon, having only a single species.
The tamarind tree produces edible, pod-like fruit which is used extensively in cuisines around the world. Other uses include traditional medicine and metal polish. The wood can be used for woodworking. Because of the tamarind's many uses, cultivation has spread around the world in tropical and subtropical zones.
Tamarindus indica is probably indigenous to tropical Africa, but has been cultivated for so long on the Indian subcontinent that it is sometimes also reported to be indigenous there, where it is known as imli in Hindi-Urdu. It grows wild in Africa in locales as diverse as Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Tanzania. In Arabia, it is found growing wild in Oman, especially Dhofar, where it grows on the sea-facing slopes of mountains. It reached South Asia likely through human transportation and cultivation several thousand years prior to the Common Era. It is widely distributed throughout the tropical belt, from Africa to South Asia, northern Australia, and throughout Oceania, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and China.