Indian Culture

Tamarind

Tamarind, imli in Hindi, is the pod of a tree from tropical Africa.1,2,3,4,5 Its sour, fruity pulp gives sambar, rasam and chutneys their sourness.4,5,6,7,8,9

Also known as Tamarinde, Tamarind paste, Imli

Tamarind, imli in Hindi, is the pod of Tamarindus indica, an evergreen tree from tropical Africa that has grown in India since prehistoric times.1,2,3,4,5,6 Inside the pod, flat seeds sit in a brown, sticky pulp.3,6,10 The pulp tastes mostly sour and fruity.3,4,5,10 In India it sours many dishes, especially in the south, such as sambar and the spiced broth rasam, as well as chutneys.5,6,7,8,9 It is usually sold without the shell as a pressed block; you soak a piece in hot water, press it through a sieve and use only the liquid.4,5,6,11 According to the pack, Schani Seedless Tamarind is pure dried tamarind from Thailand, with 37 grams of sugar per 100 grams.12

What is imli called in English?

Tamarind: imli is the Hindi and Urdu name and goes back to Sanskrit amla, “sour”. In Tamil the fruit is called puli, a word that also means sourness.1,2,6,13,14,15,16,17

What does tamarind taste like?

Mostly sour and fruity, and very sour when dried, even though the pulp contains a lot of sugar. There are also sour-sweet varieties, used for sweets or eaten ripe like fruit.4,5,10,11,12

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Sources

  1. Platts, J. T. (1884). imlī. In A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English (p. 82). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago.
  2. McGregor, R. S. (n.d.). imlī. In The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary (p. 106). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  3. Britannica Editors. (1999). tamarind. In Encyclopaedia Britannica.
  4. Davidson, A. (2014). tamarind. In The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press.
  5. Katzer, G. (n.d.). Tamarinde (Tamarindus indica). Gernot Katzers Gewürzseiten. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  6. Alford, J. & Duguid, N. (2005). tamarind. In Mangoes & Curry Leaves.
  7. Britannica Editors. (2023). Indian cuisine. In Encyclopaedia Britannica.
  8. Davidson, A. (2014). chutney. In The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press.
  9. Indian Culture: KRG Tamarind Chutney (Imli): ingredients on the pack.
  10. Kapoor, S. (2011). Tamarind. In How to Cook Indian.
  11. Chin, K. (n.d.). Tamarind. In Everyday Thai Cooking. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  12. Indian Culture: Schani Seedless Tamarind (Imli): ingredients, nutrition and origin on the pack.
  13. Platts, J. T. (1884). amla. In A Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and English (p. 82). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago.
  14. McGregor, R. S. (n.d.). amla. In The Oxford Hindi-English Dictionary (p. 53). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  15. University of Madras. (n.d.). puḷi. In Tamil Lexicon (p. 2798). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  16. Fabricius, J. P. (n.d.). puḷi. In Tamil and English Dictionary (p. 726). Digital Dictionaries of South Asia, University of Chicago. Retrieved October 6, 2026.
  17. Oxford University Press. (n.d.). tamarind. In Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Retrieved October 6, 2026.

Cite this entry

MLA

“Tamarind.” Indian Culture Glossary, Indian Culture, https://www.indian-culture.de/en/glossar/tamarind.

Chicago

Indian Culture Glossary, s.v. “Tamarind,” https://www.indian-culture.de/en/glossar/tamarind.

APA

Indian Culture. (n.d.). Tamarind. In Indian Culture glossary. https://www.indian-culture.de/en/glossar/tamarind