Can I not buy it out of season?
It is listed as Main season listed late Dec–Feb. The season can differ by growing area and variety. The calendar does not guarantee that the fruit is on sale on any given day.
Sweet Tamarind
Sweet Tamarind · มะขามหวาน
Try sweet tamarind, which is inside a brown pod. Open the pod and strip the fibres from the flesh, and you can eat the soft pulp. If you knew tamarind only as an ingredient in the tangy sauce of Pad Thai, meet the sweet tamarind eaten as a fruit too.
Tamarindus indica pods · B.navez · CC BY 2.5
Resized for display
When is the best time to eat it?
Main season listed late Dec–Feb
The season differs by growing area and variety
Sweet tamarind of Phetchabun: season listed as Nov–Apr
Use the main season, or the season of a regional fruit, as a guide. Actual availability can vary with growing area, variety and weather.
What does it taste like?
Sweet tamarind is a fruit eaten soft and sweet. Take out the hard stone and the fibres in the middle and eat the flesh.
Why this fruit is known in Thailand
Apart from the tamarind that gives dishes their sourness, there are varieties enjoyed as sweet fruit. The sweet tamarind of Phetchabun is introduced as a regional GI fruit.
Basics to know before you buy
- Thai name
- มะขามหวาน
- Season
- Main season listed late Dec–Feb
- Regional fruit
- Sweet tamarind of Phetchabun: season listed as Nov–Apr
- How it is sold
- Tell apart fresh fruit in the pod and packaged products with the stone removed or processed. Even for the same tamarind, the product and pack weight differ.
How to peel and eat it
- Crack the pod and take out the flesh.
- Take out the attached fibres and the hard stone as you eat the flesh.
- A processed product has a different price unit from fresh fruit, so choose by looking at the weight of the pack.
Frequently asked questions
How do I compare a per-kg price with a per-pack price?
Tell apart fresh fruit in the pod and packaged products with the stone removed or processed. Even for the same tamarind, the product and pack weight differ.
Keep exploring
Official sources and references
If you want to read more about these dishes and regions, these sources are a good place to start. Ingredients and cooking methods can differ from one eatery to another.