Tamarind Tamarind Tamarind

A friend (yes, I know that's how a lot of my stories begin...) came back from her hometown with a big box of tamarind. In case you're not familiar, tamarind, when it's ripe like this, is a soft sweet sticky, slightly acidic fruit that grows in brown pods on a tree. (We added some pods in the picture, and yes, I know it kind of looks like something we wouldn't eat.) The fruit reminds me of sticky applesauce or a soft raisin. When it is picked at a less ripe state, it is extremely sour and used in Thai dishes like Pad Thai.

After eating about half of the box over a week, we decided to try something else. We make a tamarind cake! The slightly tart and yet sweet flavor made for a good cake and a fun experiment.