We got used that fruits of bean plants — haricot, peas, lentil — have no pronounced taste. And that dishes from these fruits developed necessary aroma and a taste, it is necessary to add some spice to them.
But there is one representative of family bean, a little known in our corner of the world which not just has saturated taste, and and itself can be spice. It is a tamarind. We will also talk about it in our article.
Characteristic and description
Tamarind or the Indian date — the only representative of the sort Tamarind. Initially the plant grew only in a tropical zone of the African continent and on the island of Madagascar in dry deciduous forests. Met also in Sudan. Nowadays the plant grows in tropic latitudes on all continents. Most of all it in Asia where it got long before the beginning of our era and also in Mexico and Latin America.
In height the tamarind grows to 20 m. It is possible to call it evergreen, but only in those areas where there is a constant moisture. Blossoms in pink color. Flowers form inflorescences. The ripened fruits have the siliculose form up to 20 cm in size in length and couple of centimeters width. In a pod the fleshy pulp with fibers covering large seeds contains.
Whether you know? The Mexicans who are especially living in the capital of the country use the word tamarind in relation to traffic controllers of traffic as their uniform is painted in specific color.
Chemical composition: caloric content and vitamins
Exotic tropical bean — a well of vitamins and minerals.
Caloric content
Caloric content and nutrition value on 100 g of pulp:
- caloric content: 239 kcal;
- proteins: 2.8 g;
- fats: 0.6 g;
- carbohydrates: 57.4 g;
- food fibers: 5.1 g;
- ashes: 2.7 g;
- water: 31.4 g;
- mono - and disaccharides: 57.4 g;
- saturated fatty acids: 0.272 g.
Learn whether it is worth including in the diet and a first-aid kit extensive family of bean — haricot, peas, lentil, beans mash, soy, a clover, chick-pea.
Micro and macrocells
- calcium: 74 mg;
- magnesium: 92 mg;
- sodium: 28 mg;
- potassium: 628 mg;
- phosphorus: 113 mg;
- hardware: 2.8 mg;
- zinc: 0.1 mg;
- copper: 86 mkg;
- selenium: 1.3 mkg.
Vitamins
- beta carotene: 0.018 mg;
- A (RE) vitamin: 2 mkg;
- B1 vitamin (thiamine): 0.428 mg;
- B2 vitamin (Riboflavinum): 0.152 mg;
- B3 vitamin (pantothenic acid): 0.143 mg;
- B6 vitamin (pyridoxine): 0.066 mg;
- B9 vitamin (folic acid): 14 mkg;
- vitamin C: 3.5 mg;
- vitamin E (TE): 0.1 mg;
- vitamin K (fillokhinon): 2.8 mkg;
- PP vitamin (niatsinovy equivalent): 1.938 mg;
- B4 vitamin (is well-cared): 8.6 mg.
Learn what are useful and as still it is possible to apply cinnamon, ginger, a coriander and cilantro, a carnation, caraway seeds, mustard, a curry, an anisetree, a marjoram, a fenugreek, nutmeg, horse-radish, fennel, parsley, onions.
Economic value and application
In the Indian date it is possible to eat pulp. It is the integral ingredient for preparation of spices in Asian and Latin American cuisines. It is used also by the British for preparation of special sauce on the basis of anchovies, sugar and vinegar. Fruits of the Indian date can be used as soft laxative for children. The tincture made from date perfectly will refresh at fever.
Tamarind wood strong and dense, is painted in red color. It is good to make furniture and floor coverings of it. Foliage and bark of a tree also found the application. Filipinos use foliage for production of tea drinks against malarial fever.
Whether you know? The Indian date is an official symbol of the city of Santa Clara in Cuba. It is represented on a municipal coat of arms.
Use in cookery
The tamarind found the broad application in cookery that is not surprising at all.
Taste
If the fruit did not ripen yet, then its pulp will be very sour. It perfectly is suitable for gas station of hot dishes. Ripening, pulp gains sweet, and from it it is good to prepare various desserts, drinks or snack. For obtaining more saturated taste and for extension of a period of storage of a product the core is filled in with sugar syrup and closed in banks. Dzhemopodobny substance with sweet-sour taste and fruit notes turns out.
Learn in what a difference between the Indian and usual date.
As eat
Ripe pulp can be used as an independent product, and to prepare from it various sweets, spices.
So, in Indian cuisine, generally in the southern regions, from the Indian date cook various traditional dishes, for example, for chutney. Mexicans do fragrant lollipops and candies of a tamarind.
In European cuisine the Indian date is not used. But if you have a desire to experiment and you could get an exotic bean, then it is possible to make two types of seasoning. In the first option you need to separate pulp from seeds and fibers, to cut it and to dry up. It is possible to store it in such look about three years.
The second option of seasoning: the separated pulp is small crushed and made within 10 minutes. Then wring out, decant and use broth as seasoning in salads as additive in sauces as a component of various sweets.
Useful properties
The Indian date possesses:
- bactericidal action (bean juice well disinfects wounds, grazes, cauterizes pimples);
- anti-inflammatory (it is capable to kill a set of bacteria as the tamarind is rich in vitamins);
- anti-infectious (juice or tincture from a bean depresses the viruses which are especially living in mucous a mouth);
- laxative (to clean intestines and to normalize a metabolism, it is enough to eat 30-50 g of date three times a day on a hungry stomach);
- seeds decoctions recommend to drink if there are problems with a campaign in a toilet more;
- immunostimulating (group B vitamins support the immune system; to increase protective function of an organism, it is possible to eat date in any kind).
As laxative can use buckthorn bark, castor oil, urbech, a red mountain ash, a sage Spanish, black radish, a thistle, a pomelo, orange, a kiwi, dried apricots, almonds, fennel.
For weight loss
The hydroxycitric acid which is a part of a fruit oppresses production of the enzymes which are responsible for adjournment of nutrients in stocks. Therefore all calories which get to an organism will be processed and removed. Also date causes feeling of saturation, so there are you will be less. Actively burns fats.
Important! The tamarind is very useful to diabetics as it is capable to lower sugar level in blood.
For decrease in level of cholesterol
The antioxidants which are present at fruits (vitamin C, E) interfere with formation of cholesteric plaques and their adjournment on vessels.
For the first time such action of components of date was revealed on hens. Later it is checked in public. Discovery is nowadays made that the amount of antioxidants increases at preparation of a fruit.
It is considered that the cholesterol level in blood is lower, the arterial blood pressure is lower.
For digestion
In alternative traditional Indian medicine (Ayurveda) the tamarind is actively used at violation of work of digestive tract: frustration, meteorizm, lock. Also components of a fruit are capable to stop emetic process, to extinguish gas generation, to eliminate gastric pains and to save from consequences of food poisoning. For creation of laxative effect it is enough to eat 10-50 g of pulp. At this moment do not recommend to use other depletive.
For female health
Adjusts a hormonal background, returns sexual desire. In general, the Indian date is capable to adjust normal work of all female body and not only from within, but also outside.
Various cosmetology procedures with addition of a tamarind are very popular. Infusions from it eliminate consequences of sunstrokes, remove irritations from integuments. Wrapping cream with addition of date return youth of skin and sate it with nutritious elements. Pulp of a fruit is added to masks for oily and problem skin.
Can have serious impact on a hormonal background of a cone of hop, a celery, linseed oil, blackberry, fat, sweet cherry, akatsiyevy medical, pollen, a uterine milk, cod-liver oil.
Harm and contraindications
Harm from an exotic plant can be only at its excessive use. It will be shown in the form of diarrhea.
Do not recommend to use a bean to a kidney-vetch, people with the gastritis suffering from problems with digestive glands, to pregnant women and the feeding women.
We choose
When choosing a fruit pay attention on:
- condition of a cover of a pod — at ripe date it is grayish-brown;
- the appearance — a pod has to be smooth, dense, elastic;
- integrity — a cover without dents, cracks;
- pod size — seeds at a tamarind big therefore the more the pod, the more in it will be pulp.
Storage
If you plan to spend the acquired goods within several days, then it is possible to store date in the dry, not hot place, far from light. If it is necessary to keep a fruit for several weeks then put it in the fridge.
Considerably storage drying of pulp will increase term. In such state it is possible to keep it few years. It is possible to make jam, paste or spices, then the period of storage will even more increase. Tastes will not be lost at such processing of goods.
Tamarind — the exotic spice rich in vitamins and minerals. It found broad application not only in cookery, but also in medicine, cosmetology. It is pleasant to be treated by such tasty and fragrant medicine.