The Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) (from the Arabic: ??? ???? tamar hindi = Indian date) is in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic (having only a single species). It is a tropical tree, native to tropical Africa, including parts of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests, the tree grows wild throughout the Sudan and was so long ago introduced into and adopted in India that it has often been reported as indigenous there also, and it was apparently from India that it reached the Persians and the Arabs who called it "tamar hindi" (Indian date, from the date-like appearance of the dried pulp), giving rise to both its common and generic names.[citation needed] Unfortunately, the specific name, "indica", also perpetuates the illusion of Indian origin. The fruit was well known to the ancient Egyptians and to the Greeks in the 4th Century B.C.[citation needed]

The tree has long been naturalized in the East Indies and the islands of the Pacific. One of the first tamarind trees in Hawaii was planted in 1797. The tamarind was certainly introduced into tropical America, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the West Indies much earlier. In all tropical and near-tropical areas, including South Florida, it is grown as a shade and fruit tree, along roadsides and in dooryards and parks. There are commercial

plantings in Mexico, Belize and other Central American countries and in northern Brazil. In India there are extensive tamarind orchards producing 275,500 tons (250,000 MT) annually. The pulp is marketed in northern Malaya and to some extent wherever the tree is found even if there are no plantations.

The fruit pulp is edible and popular. It is used as a spice in both Asian and Latin American cuisines, and is also an important ingredient in Worcestershire sauce, HP sauce and the Jamaican-produced Pickapeppa sauce [1]. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is very tart and acidic and is most often used as a component of savory dishes. The ripened fruit is sweeter, yet still distinctively sour, and can be used in desserts and sweetened drinks, or as a snack. In Thailand, there is a carefully cultivated sweet variety with little to no tartness grown specifically to be eaten as a fresh fruit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tamarindus_indica%2C_leaves%2C_pod.jpg

Why do we call ourselves Tamarind ?

The Tamarind fruit is found around the world especially in the tropical regions of South Asia, South East Asia, Middle East, South America as well as the Caribbean. In most tropical cuisines the Tamarind is a key integral element balancing and enhancing all the other flavours and spices. With Tamarind Technologies, we think ISV’s looking at a Product Development Partner or Enterprises looking at an Enterprise Application Development Partner willfind a key ingredient to success.