Tamarind endemic to tropical Africa, it is a leguminous tree. Throughout the world, in many countries, tamarind has found its way into the cuisines because of easy cultivation and widespread habitat. With seasonal rainfall, it is well-adapted to humid tropical areas, however during fruit development period, dry weather is imperative. Tamarind, like prune, is a natural laxative. Tamarind comes in many forms and is used differently by different cultures. For non-culinary use, tamarind pulp has long been used for many medicinal purposes and continues to be used by many people in Africa, Asia and America. Tamarind pulp alone or in combination with lemonade, honey, milk, dates, spices or camphor is used as a digestive and a carminative, and as a remedy for biliousness and bile disorders and febrile conditions. It is said to reduce loss of appetite. Tamarind pulp can be used in the manufacturing of blood sugar-managing medicines.

Thai tamarind
The main use of tamarind is in Thai cooking, from Phad Thai (pronounced as Pad Tai) sauce to spicy soup and chilli sauce. Sweet tamarind is an agricultural product that Thailand has the potential to grow and export. More recently, Thailand has become a major producer of tamarind, with sweet and sour cultivars in production. Thailand is particularly prominent due to the availability of the sweet types. Though Thailand is the second largest producer in the world for Tamarinds, it ranks as the largest exporter in the world for fruits, dried, n.e.s. The sweet varieties come from Thailand known as Makhamwan (pronounced as Ma-Come-Wan) and are perfect eaten out of hand. They have very low acid,
The sour varieties, on the other hand the pulp is used as primary ingredients for drinks, chutney and curry. They are generally more suited for cooking and for drinks.