Tamarind
Sunday, October 25, 2009
The Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic (having only a single species).
It is a tropical tree, native to Africa, including Sudan and parts of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. It was introduced into India so long ago that it has often been reported as indigenous there, and it was apparently from India that it reached the Persians and the Arabs who called it “tamar hindi” IMLI (Indian date, from the date-like appearance of the dried pulp), giving rise to both its common and generic names.However, the specific name, “indica”, also perpetuates the illusion of Indian origin. The fruit was well known to the ancient Egyptians and to the Greeks in the 4th Century B.C.E
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