Tamarind, the tropical fruit that is bound to tickle your glands and give you a mouth full of water just by its thought! Imli in Hindi, Teytul in Bengali, Puli in Tamil, Cintapaṇḍu in Telugu, Imali in Punjabi, Teteli in Assamese, Chinch in Marathi – which Indian state does not love it? 😀
The tropical hardwood tree Tamarindus indica that bears the Tamarind fruit is a native of Africa but has spread across all of Asia. A common ingredient in Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Latin and even Mexican cuisines, consuming this sweet-and-sour citrus fruit has many more benefits that only imparting a strikingly good flavour to the dish.
Tamarind paste is procured from the pods of the tree that take a dark reddish-brown colour when ripened. The fibrous pulp surrounding the seeds is what is eaten up. In Indian households, however, the Tamarind fruit is something that is cherished by everyone from little kids to seniors! Tamarind pickle, tamarind candies, drinks, or just dry ripe tamarind are a regular part of summer delicacies in India. For us, tamarind or imli is an emotion!!!
Here are 10 reasons why you should add Tamarind to your daily cuisines…
- It is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. It nourishes the body with multiple nutrients like Vitamin C, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus, and others.
- It helps in breaking fever and cools down the body in tropical countries. Consuming Tamarind lessens the chances of sunstrokes in such hot countries.
- It helps in digestion, sore throat, a
- Tamarind skin helps in achieving smooth skin due to the presence of alpha-hydroxyl acids (AHAs).
- It contains antioxidants that purify the blood.
- The fruit pod aids in weight management. It acts upon obesity by reducing the activity of fatty acid synthase (FAS) in the body.
- Patients suffering from constipation are suggested to have tamarind. Potassium bitartrate present in the fruit’s pulp gets along with other active ingredients to relieve constipation.
- Tamarind contains anti-microbial properties. Traditionally used as a medicine to cure fever, the extracts of tamarind show amazing inhibitory effects on malaria and other microbial infections/diseases.
- For people with hypertension and poor heart health, tamarind works wonders. It reduces diastolic blood pressure when consumed at prescribed rates. It also decreases the risk of atherosclerosis, that is, clogging of the arteries in humans.
- Tamarind is good for diabetics as it helps control the blood sugar level. It works with the pancreas in ways to reduce the inflammation of pancreatic cells, which is one of the major causes of diabetes. By promoting the production of new cells in the pancreas, a process termed as neogenesis, tamarind helps to restore the production of optimum quantity of insulin from the pancreas of diabetics.
With the summer heat coming in, we think this is a great time for you to get grab some tamarind! Sooth your taste buds with its tangy sweetness and relax your organs with its nutrients. Do let us know in comments if that helps you beat the heat.