The quick answer
Tamarind tastes sweet and sour at the same time: tart like lemon, with a fruity, dried-fruit sweetness that cooks often compare to apricots and dates. The sourness comes mainly from tartaric acid, and riper pulp tastes sweeter while less ripe pulp is sharply sour. Dark tamarind concentrate adds a deeper, molasses-like note. That sweet-tart balance is why tamarind shows up in pad thai, sambar, chutneys, Worcestershire sauce and Mexican agua de tamarindo.
Some imported tamarind candies have been found to contain lead, especially in the past. Buy candy from sources you trust, and do not give children candy sold in glazed clay pots.
What does tamarind taste like?
Tamarind is the fruit of Tamarindus indica, a tree in the pea family that is native to tropical Africa and has been grown in South and Southeast Asia for thousands of years (Encyclopaedia Britannica; ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research). The edible part is the sticky brown pulp inside a brittle pod.
The tamarind flavor profile has three parts:
- Sour. Tartaric acid is the main acid, making up about 8 to 18% of the pulp, with some malic and citric acid as well (Indian Institute of Spices Research). It gives tamarind a clean, puckery tartness, a bit like lemon.
- Sweet and fruity. Natural sugars round out the acid. Food Network describes ripe tamarind as tasting "a bit like a mixture of lemons, apricots and dates."
- Deep and dark. Jarred concentrate is cooked down into a dark, thick paste with a heavier, molasses-like sweetness; Fine Dining Lovers compares the note to treacle.
Ripeness changes everything. The less ripe the fruit, the more sour it is; unripe tamarind is described as "mouth-puckeringly sour" (Food Network), and ripe pulp turns sweeter and milder (MasterClass).
Sweet tamarind vs sour tamarind
There are two broad styles of tamarind, and they are used differently:
- Sour tamarind is the common kind used for cooking across India, Southeast Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. It is too tart to enjoy plain in quantity, so it is soaked, strained and used as a souring agent.
- Sweet tamarind varieties, especially from Thailand, are eaten fresh out of the pod as a snack. Thailand's makham wan grown in Phetchabun province is known for being particularly sweet (Fine Dining Lovers), and Thai researchers grade sweet tamarind by its balance of sugar to acid.
Recipes that call for tamarind paste or pulp mean the sour type.
Forms of tamarind and how they taste
| Form | What it is | Flavor and texture | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh pods | Whole pods with pulp and seeds inside | Sweet types taste like a tangy date; sour types are very tart | Snacking (sweet), soaking for juice (sour) |
| Pressed pulp block | Pulp compressed into a brick with some seeds and fiber | Bright, fresh sweet-sour flavor once soaked and strained | Homemade paste for curries, sauces, drinks |
| Paste or concentrate | Pulp already strained and cooked down, sold in jars or tubs | Thick and dark; convenient, but some can taste bitter | Quick weeknight cooking |
| Powder | Dried, ground pulp | Tart, dry; easy to measure | Spice rubs, seasoning mixes |
| Candy | Pulp mixed with sugar, often chili and salt | Sweet, sour, salty and spicy | Snacking |
| Drinks and syrups | Pulp steeped in water and sweetened | Tangy, refreshing | Agua de tamarindo, sodas, cocktails |
Saveur recommends making your own paste from a pulp block when you can, because ready-made concentrate can taste bitter.
Where tamarind shows up in cooking
- Thai: tamarind is part of the base sauce for pad thai, along with fish sauce and sugar, and it goes into curries such as massaman.
- South Indian: it is a key souring agent in sambar and many curries (Indian Institute of Spices Research), and the base of rasam, a thin, peppery tamarind soup.
- Chutneys: tamarind-date chutney is the classic sweet-sour dip for samosas.
- Worcestershire sauce: Lea & Perrins lists tamarind extract on its ingredient label, alongside vinegar, molasses, anchovies and cloves.
- Mexican: agua de tamarindo is a sweet-tart drink made from steeped pods, and tamarind candies, often with chili, are a favorite snack.
- Caribbean: tamarind balls are a sweet made by rolling the pulp with sugar.
In South Indian cooking, tamarind is often paired with black pepper, cumin and dried chilies, as in pepper rasam. For more on those spices, see our guide to Kerala spices. Tamarind also brings out savory flavors; pair it with the ingredients in our umami seasoning guide for deeper sauces.
How to make tamarind paste from a block
Our method uses the soak-and-strain approach Saveur also recommends. An 8-ounce block gives you roughly 2 cups of paste:
- Break the block into a few chunks and drop them into a glass or stainless steel bowl. Avoid aluminum, which reacts with the acid.
- Cover the pieces with 2 cups of just-boiled water. Leave them about half an hour, mashing now and then with a fork so the pulp loosens from the seeds.
- Set a fine strainer over a second bowl and tip in the mixture. Work the soft pulp through the mesh with the back of a spoon, and remember to collect the thick layer that clings to the bottom of the strainer, which is the best part.
- Discard the seeds, husk and strings that stay behind in the strainer.
- Keep the paste in a covered jar in the fridge for about 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze spoonfuls in an ice cube tray and use them within about 3 months.
Homemade paste is thinner than concentrate, so add it gradually and taste as you go.
Tamarind substitutes
No substitute is exact, but these get close to the sweet-sour balance:
- Lime juice plus brown sugar: the easiest fix. Mix to taste and use in place of tamarind paste one for one.
- Amchur (dried green mango powder): a good match for Indian dishes. Mix with an equal amount of water to make a paste.
- Pomegranate molasses: thick and tart, close in texture. Some cooks mix it half and half with lime juice.
- Worcestershire sauce: it already contains tamarind, so a splash works in savory sauces and marinades.
A note on lead in tamarind candy
Tamarind fruit is not a lead risk in itself, but some imported tamarind candies have been. In 1998 the CDC reported a California child with a blood lead level of 59 micrograms per deciliter, traced to tamarind candy from Mexico packed in glazed ceramic jars. The lead glaze was the main source, and tamarind's acidity increases how much lead leaches out of the glaze (CDC, MMWR, 1998). A 2002 CDC report linked other cases to lead in candy wrappers, including a tamarind lollipop (CDC, MMWR, 2002).
The FDA recommends that candy likely to be eaten often by small children contain no more than 0.1 ppm of lead (Tamayo-Ortiz et al., Annals of Global Health, 2020). That follow-up study found lead levels in Mexican candy had dropped markedly since 2008, which is good news, but it is still wise to buy from sources you trust and to skip candy sold in clay pots.
Find it at William's
We don't currently list tamarind online. Call the store to check what's on the shelf. If you are shopping for tart and tropical flavors, our guide to soursop covers another favorite tropical fruit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tamarind sweet or sour?
Both. Most tamarind is sweet and sour at once, with the sourness coming from tartaric acid. Riper fruit is sweeter. Sweet varieties from Thailand are eaten fresh as a snack, while sour varieties are used in cooking.
What does tamarind taste similar to?
Ripe tamarind is often compared to a mix of lemon, apricots and dates: tart and fruity with a dried-fruit sweetness. Dark tamarind concentrate tastes deeper, closer to molasses.
What does tamarind candy taste like?
Tamarind candy is usually sweet, sour and salty, and many Mexican versions add chili for heat. The tamarind gives it a sticky, fruity tang under the sugar and spice.
Does tamarind taste like Worcestershire sauce?
Tamarind is one of the ingredients in Worcestershire sauce, so you may recognize its tangy, fruity note there. On its own, tamarind is fruitier and less salty, without the vinegar, anchovy and clove notes of the sauce.
Can you eat tamarind raw?
Yes. Crack the brittle shell, pull off the stringy fibers, and eat the pulp around the hard seeds, spitting the seeds out. Sweet tamarind is best for eating raw; sour tamarind is very tart.
What is a good substitute for tamarind paste?
Lime juice mixed with brown sugar is the easiest substitute. Amchur (dried mango powder) mixed with water works well in Indian dishes, and pomegranate molasses gives a similar tart, thick result.