T

he tamarind fruit is regarded as a souring agent in Indonesian cuisine. Having a tamarind tree in the garden will certainly give some benefits because the fruit has many uses. Since the tree has a hard trunk and can reach heights of 10 to 25 meters, some city administrations have had roadside ones cut down for fear that an old tree could fall down onto a car or even houses.

It has thus become rare to find tamarind tree in big cities. In some regions in the country, however, for instance on the island of Madura off East Java, the tamarind tree is preserved. The fruit there is made into a typical asam kawak to cater to various needs in cooking and medicine throughout Indonesia.

The tamarind belongs to the Leguminosae family (pods). It grows best in areas with dry to somewhat moist climates, ideally between lowlands up until an elevation of 100 meters above sea level. The fruits are round, long and flat legumes, somewhat pointed at the end, each containing one to 10 kernels.

The fruit has long been used to enrich the spices in daily Indonesian cuisine, and while replanting the tree along roadsides is not advised, it can be planted as cover crops in coffee plantations, for instance.

Tamarind has a sour and somewhat sweet taste, due to the high glucose content of 30 to 40 percent and the presence of tartaric and citric acid. It also contains tannin and pectin, which are useful in preparing jelly, jam or other food items that must be congealed.

What is interesting is the variety of methods for preparing the fruits. All parts of the tree, from the roots to the fruits are useful. The roots may be used as a mixture, or as fuel for the fire. The sinon, or buds are delicious as a mixture in roast fish or meat wrapped in banana leaves, as well as other dishes that need a souring agent.

One of the preparations of ripe-from-the tree tamarind fruit is to strip away the fibers and seeds, and then dry it in the sun. To preserve it, add salt and palm sugar. The mixed substance is steamed and then allowed to cool. Finally, packed in plastic bags, the tamarind is sold as asam Jawa.

The traditional method for preparing tamarind syrup at home is as follows: Ripe tamarind fruits are stripped from the fibers and kernels (not necessary if asam kawak is used). Add sugar and water in a ratio of 1:3:2 (for every 1 kilogram of tamarind, add 3 kilograms of sugar and 2 liters of water). Cook the mixture until the sugar is totally dissolved. Add some salt for flavor while stirring.

Let it cool, then filter it and let it dry in the sun for four days (during which the heat should be regular and evenly spread). After drying, pour the liquid into a container.

A problem with the syrup is the sediment that appears during storage, making it necessary to shake the bottle before pouring it into a glass. To compensate for this phenomenon, you can use a stabilizer - and element able to maintain the solvent in the original condition without creating gel during storage. Stabilizers include Arabic gum, gelatin, seaweed, sodium alginate and pectin.

During hot, humid weather, when you need something refreshing, use the tamarind fruit to make a sour soup called sayur asam. Here's the recipe:

Cut 200 grams of jackfruit and 200 grams of green papaya or custard marrow into cubes. Get 150 grams each of young corn and string beans, cut into 1-centimeter strips, as well as 50 grams each of melinjo (Gnetum gnemon) leaves (shredded) and red melinjo strobili (halved).

Make a paste from 40 grams of shallots, 15 grams of garlic, three red chili peppers (seeds discarded), four roast candlenuts, half a teaspoon of roast terasi, a slice of galangal and two salam leaves, and pour in 800 milliliters of water.

Add 150 grams of young tamarind pods. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Add the vegetables and seasoning with a teaspoon of salt or to your liking, continue simmering until the vegetables are done but not mushy. Some people add a teaspoon of palm sugar.

One day, when discussing the use of tamarind in our respective countries, my friend from Batanga in the Philippines said that over there, a sweet-sour soup is made for hot days, called sinigang na hipon, meaning sweet-sour soup with shrimp. And she gives me this Philippine recipe for sayur asam.

Finely slice 150 grams of white radish and 200 grams of eggplant. Soak in water to prevent browning. Pick 150 grams of water convolvulus. Cut 150 grams of string beans into 4-centimeter strips. Coarsely chop 100 grams each of onion and tomatoes.

Clean and cut 250 grams of shrimp down the dorsal. Boil 100 grams of young tamarind in a liter of water until tender, then remove. Bring the tamarind water to the boil again and add the shrimp, onion and seasoning with half a teaspoon of salt or to your liking.

Simmer for five minutes. Add water convolvulus, radish, eggplant and string beans. Add two red chili peppers (seeds discarded) and tomatoes. Continue cooking until tender but not mushy.

So on hot days, why not prepare a refreshing sweet sour sayur asam or add a Philippine touch of sinigang na hipon to the table?

- Suryatini N. Ganie