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Tamarind

Tamarind
Tamarindus indica pods.JPG
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
  • Tamarindus occidentalis Gaertn.
  • Tamarindus officinalis Hook.
  • Tamarindus umbrosa Salisb.
Tamarinds, raw
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.


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