14 oz - Thailand

Ingredient: Tamarind

A compressed block of dried de-seeded Tamarind pulp. Tamarind is the primary souring agent in Thai cuisine; they add a fruity tanginess to soups, salads, stir-fries and salads. Although fresh tamarind is easy to find in the tropics, outside of Southeast Asia, a block dried tamarind is likely to be the best you can get in the US.

How to use dried tamarind:
Break off a lump from the block. Soak the lump in warm water for a few minutes. Soak the lump in warm water for a few minutes to soften, then work the pulp with your fingers to loosen the pulp from the fibres and seeds, if there are any. As a rough guide, use about 3 tablespoons of seedless tamarind pulp to about a cup of water. Double the quantity of pulp if it contains seeds as well. Note that you don't have to be too concerned about precision here as you can adjust the amount of tamarind used in a dish to taste. Squeeze the mass with your hands over a clean bowl to extract the pulp. Discard the fibres and seeds.

Wrap the rest of the block tightly in plastic wrap, and store in the fridge.