TENTULI

That, wood which we cut for firewood did all hang . . . with cods of green fruit called Tamerin it hath a very sour taste and by the Apothecaries is held good against the Scurvie.

~ N. Dountain, Purchas his Pilgrims (1611)

Although tamarind has been used in India from the most remote times against scurvy, it is also known for its effectiveness against mouth and throat infections. Indeed, the most famous tamarind tree in India stands over the tomb of the legendary Indian singer, Tansen, whose golden voice led the Great Moghul, the Emperor Akbar, to name Tansen one of the nine gems of his court. Four centuries later, India’s finest classical singers still travel to Tansen’s tomb to pluck leaves from this tamarind tree to make into throat gargles, in the hope that their voices will become as pure as their legendary predecessor’s.

The pulp of the tamarind fruit, an important source of vitamin C, is a popular ingredient in the curries and preserves of south India, a region known for its punishing hot summers. Valued as an antidote to heat stroke, tamarind pods are

often preserved in salt and sold by weight so that they can he mixed with molasses and water to provide a sherbet which is both cheap and capable of lowering body temperatures. Mixed with salted water the pulp makes a laxative so gentle it is even administered to children suffering from stomach disorders.

But the tree is of greatest use to the poor tribes who inhabit the forests of India. In times of famine they husk the tamarind seeds, which are then boiled and powdered into flour to make bread. Both the leaves and the flowers of this

tree are edible, and the tamarind tree is much revered by its dependents.

In the Tribal Myths of Orissa, retold by Verrier Elwin in 1954, it is said:

When God planted the tamarind tree and tended it, it grew long finger-like fruit. He tasted it and found it good. He decided to share it with men. When vegetables run short, He thought, they could eat it as chutney. But I shan’t tell the birds about it, He decided, otherwise there won’t be enough for men. God called Man and said to him: Guard this tree well. Plant it on your hills. It will be greatly to your profit.

Excerpted from The Garden of Life by Naveen Patnaik.

Illustration: Photograph of a Tamarind tree.