Tamarind Moment

Photo courtesy Tau’olunga — Wikimedia Commons

Tamarind is often used in South Indian cooking, but my association is with Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Tamarind tree. Photo courtesy: B.navez — Wikimedia Commons

I cycled with a Spanish friend, zigzagging across tree-lined streets until we stopped for a breather. Lauda reached up and plucked a tamarind pod from a verdant tree we stood under. Splitting open the pod, she sucked the tangy morsel and it wasn’t until much later, I learnt about their amazing flavour in curries.