Spanish tamarind

Spanish Tamarind is a common name for several plants and may refer to:

• Spondias purpurea, a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to tropical regions of the Americas. It is also known as the purple mombin, red mombin, hog plum, or ciruela (plum) in Spanish.
• Tamarindus indica, a leguminous tree in the family Fabaceae indigenous to tropical Africa. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. The tamarind tree produces edible, pod-like fruit which are used extensively in cuisines around the world.

Description

The Spondias purpurea is a small to medium-sized tree, reaching a height of 4–10 m (13–33 ft). The leaves are deciduous in the short dry season, but the tree is green during the rainy season. The fruit is a drupe with edible pulp surrounding the single seed. The fruit has a sweet-sour taste and is eaten fresh or made into juice, jam, or jelly.

The Tamarindus indica is a large, long-lived tree, reaching up to 30 m (98 ft) in height and a trunk diameter of over 1 m (3.3 ft). The tree's fruit is a pod-like legume, which contains a sticky, fleshy, juicy pulp. The pulp is the edible part of the fruit and is used in various ways in cuisines around the world.

Cultivation and uses

Both the Spondias purpurea and the Tamarindus indica are cultivated for their fruits. The fruits are used in a variety of culinary applications. They are also used in traditional medicine in various cultures.

The Spondias purpurea is cultivated throughout its native range and also in some parts of Asia. The fruit is commonly sold in local markets and is also exported.

The Tamarindus indica is cultivated in tropical regions around the world. The fruit pulp is used in cuisines from Africa to South Asia, to Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is also used in traditional medicine, particularly in Ayurvedic medicine.

See also

• List of culinary fruits
• List of plants known as plum

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Spanish tamarind.