Tamarind

*Tamarindus indica*

How to know it

A large shade tree with fine feathery leaves that fold at night. Brown brittle pods hang in clusters, holding sticky dark pulp around hard shiny seeds.

What it does

The pulp is used for sourness in cooking across the region and in drinks and sweets. The wood is hard and used for tools. The tree is planted for shade in schoolyards and along roads throughout the tropics.

Safety

Safe. Very sour, so offer small amounts.

Two things to do with children

Taste a small piece of pulp. The reaction is immediate and it is one of the few flavours that produces a genuine split in a class.

Look at the leaves in the late afternoon and again at night. They fold, and children who spot it themselves are delighted.