20 Ways to Taste a 2024 Flavor of the Year

"Tamarind adds its bewitching sharp-and-tangy tones to cuisines across the world; it's a magical ingredient that has the power to cure, quench, and make our mouths pucker (in the best way possible)," says Indonesian-Australian chef and food writer Lara Lee of the beloved tropical fruit. Indeed, much like lemon and lime, tangy tamarind offers contrast, complexity, and brightness to sweet and savory dishes alike. There's good reason tamarind was named the 2024 flavor of the year. Here's what you should know about this powerhouse ingredient.

What is tamarind?

Tamarind is a fruit grown as pods on trees in tropical regions around the world. The pods start out as a pale green color, then ripen into a reddish-brown, then a deep brown color.

What does tamarind taste like?

Tamarind is known and loved for its tangy, sweet-sour, flavor, with elements of acidity that can add a welcome sharpness. It's bold flavors make it an excellent partner for lending complexity to both sweet and savory dishes.

How do you use tamarind?

You can find tamarind in various forms, shelf-stable and refrigerated or frozen, in Asian markets or online. Here's what you'll find and how to use it.

Pods

Whole tamarind pods are categorized depending on the stage at which they were harvested. Sour tamarind, or green, unripe tamarind, is the most tart and acidic. Ripe tamarind is brown, with a pleasantly strong sour taste. Sweet tamarind can be eaten straight from the pod. Source fresh pods at some major supermarkets, Asian and Indian grocers, and online.

Dried tamarind pulp is sold in bricks that contain the membrane and seeds from tamarind pods. Once tamarind pulp has come into contact with air, it oxidizes, which is why these blocks are often medium to deep brown, or even black, in color.

Paste

Tamarind paste is seedless, made from the flesh of tamarind that has been diluted with water, making it easy to integrate into dishes. Good-quality pastes should only contain tamarind, water, and (sometimes) a preservative, but no artificial sweeteners or corn syrup. Our testers liked Somboon brand tamarind paste, which comes in bricks.

Concentrate

Tamarind concentrates are thick and black with a molasses-like consistency. The intense flavor of tamarind concentrate gives oomph to the marinade for Tamarind Chicken and enlivens the caramel in Tamarind Millionaire's Shortbread. Concentrates may also be diluted to a flavor similar to tamarind water, if desired, by mixing them with water. Look for Tamicon brand.

Frozen

There is also frozen unsweetened tamarind, which can have a weaker potency, so you may need to add more to taste. Thinner and less intensely flavored than other forms, simply defrost and use as needed.

Powder

Finally, there's tamarind powder, made from dehydrated and ground tamarind. This pungent, highly concentrated form of tamarind can be used to flavor candies, drinks, and sauces where a recipe calls for it, but it cannot be substituted for the paste, concentrate, pods, or pulp.

How do I cook with tamarind?

Often used in the form of frozen pulp, concentrate, or paste, tamarind is an easy way to add interest to cocktails (Tamarind Whiskey Sour, anyone?), poultry (Balinese Grilled Chicken!), decadent desserts (hello, Tamarind Millionaire's Shortbread), and more. If tamaring is not already a pantry staple at your house, try any of these tantalizing tamarind recipes and we're sure it soon will be.