Velvet tamarind

Velvet tamarind

Taxobox | name = Velvet tamarind
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Mangoliophyta
classis = Magnoliopsida
ordo = Fagales
familia = Leguminosae
subfamilia = Caesalpinioideae
genus = "Dialium"
species = "D. indum"
binomial = "Dialium indum"
binomial_authority = L.
synonyms = "Dialium cochinchinense" Pierre

Velvet tamarind, "Dialium indum", is a tall, tropical, fruit-bearing tree, native to southern Thailand and Malaysia. It belongs to the Leguminosae family, and has small, typically grape-sized edible fruits with brown hard inedible shells. Due to its valued hard and compact wood, it is a threatened species, with its habitat being encroached upon by logging and human settlement. No reports of cultivation exist, information on propagation is limited.

The flavor of the fruit is similar to tamarind, where it derives its English name. In Thai, it is called "Luk Yee" or "Yee", and in Malaysia it goes by the name of "Keranji". The fruit is used as a candy-like snack food in Thailand, often dried, sugar-coated and spiced with chili. The dried fruit has a powdery texture, and is orange in color with a tangy flavor.

Each fruit typically has one hard, flat, round, brown seed, typically 7-8 millimeters across and 3 millimeters thick. The seed somewhat resembles a watermelon seed "(Citrullus lanatus)". Some have two seeds. The seeds are shiny, coated with a thin layer of starch.

In Sarawak, Malaysia there are at least two varieties for sale in the local markets. Both have the same thin black brittle shell, and appear to be naturally dry unlike most fruits. One smaller kind is about one inch = 25 mm long and have a reddish brown powder lightly packed around the single seed, with a small air space within the shell. This powder tastes sweet and sour just like the candy "sweet-tarts", and is thus closest to the tamarind. The second are bigger, about 1 1/2 inch (38mm) long and look the same outside but are pretty different inside. There is more empty space in these and the pulp is 2-3mm thick around the seed (sometimes 2 seeds), brown and a bit sticky, and tastes like a mixture of three parts good date, one part raisins, and one part wheat flour. There is locally also at least one more wild keranji, which is also of the powder sort, but too acid to enjoy.

External links

* http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/ab777e/ab777e04.htm#bm4.2


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  • Velvet tamarind — Tamarind Tam a*rind, n. [It. tamarindo, or Sp. tamarindo, or Pg. tamarindo, tamarinho, from Ar. tamarhind[=i], literally, Indian date; tamar a dried date + Hind India: cf. F. tamarin. Cf. {Hindu}.] (Bot.) 1. A leguminous tree ({Tamarindus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • velvet-tamarind — gvinėjinis dialis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Cezalpinijinių šeimos vaisinis augalas (Dialium guineense), paplitęs Afrikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Dialium guineense angl. Sierra Leone tamarind; velvet tamarind ryšiai: susijęs terminas –… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • velvet-tamarind — švelnusis dialis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Cezalpinijinių šeimos medieninis augalas (Dialium cochinchinense), paplitęs atogrąžų Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Dialium cochinchinense angl. velvet tamarind šaltinis Valstybinės lietuvių… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • velvet tamarind — noun : a western African tree (Dialium guineënse) of the family Leguminosae with velvety black pods containing an acid pulp that is chewed to relieve thirst or macerated in water to form a beverage called also black tamarind …   Useful english dictionary

  • Tamarind — Tam a*rind, n. [It. tamarindo, or Sp. tamarindo, or Pg. tamarindo, tamarinho, from Ar. tamarhind[=i], literally, Indian date; tamar a dried date + Hind India: cf. F. tamarin. Cf. {Hindu}.] (Bot.) 1. A leguminous tree ({Tamarindus Indica})… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Tamarind fish — Tamarind Tam a*rind, n. [It. tamarindo, or Sp. tamarindo, or Pg. tamarindo, tamarinho, from Ar. tamarhind[=i], literally, Indian date; tamar a dried date + Hind India: cf. F. tamarin. Cf. {Hindu}.] (Bot.) 1. A leguminous tree ({Tamarindus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Wild tamarind — Tamarind Tam a*rind, n. [It. tamarindo, or Sp. tamarindo, or Pg. tamarindo, tamarinho, from Ar. tamarhind[=i], literally, Indian date; tamar a dried date + Hind India: cf. F. tamarin. Cf. {Hindu}.] (Bot.) 1. A leguminous tree ({Tamarindus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sierra Leone-tamarind — gvinėjinis dialis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Cezalpinijinių šeimos vaisinis augalas (Dialium guineense), paplitęs Afrikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Dialium guineense angl. Sierra Leone tamarind; velvet tamarind ryšiai: susijęs terminas –… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • black tamarind — noun 1. : velvet tamarind 2. : a tropical American timber tree (Pithecolobium arboreum) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Codarium acutifolium — Tamarind Tam a*rind, n. [It. tamarindo, or Sp. tamarindo, or Pg. tamarindo, tamarinho, from Ar. tamarhind[=i], literally, Indian date; tamar a dried date + Hind India: cf. F. tamarin. Cf. {Hindu}.] (Bot.) 1. A leguminous tree ({Tamarindus… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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