Tamr Hindi

Native to tropical Africa, tamarind was carried into India so early that it took deep root in Indian cookery — it was apparently from India that it reached the Persians and Arabs, who named it tamr hindi, 'Indian date,' for the date-like look of its dried pulp. The Persian physician Ibn Sina recorded the name in his Canon in the early 11th century, but mentions it only sparingly, suggesting the fruit was still a fairly recent arrival in the Arab world. The English word 'tamarind' descends from that Arabic name by way of Medieval Latin. Egyptian street vendors carrying brass tanks with curved spouts on their backs are an iconic Ramadan-era image, documented in Cairo street photography from the late 19th century onward.

The brass-tank vendor is called arabsi or sherbatli depending on city; the curved spout is shaped to pour into a glass held below the waist without spilling. Egypt's most famous brand El Doha has bottled it since the 1970s.

Deep brown, slightly cloudy. Sour-sweet pucker, raisin-prune dried-fruit depth on the swallow, much more layered than lemonade. Heavy thirst-quencher — the pulp tannins leave a clean dry feeling on the tongue, which is why it works after a fast.

Soak compressed tamarind block (200g) in 1L hot water for at least an hour, then mash by hand and push through a fine sieve to strip the seeds and fiber. Sugar 100-150g per liter; chill at least 4 hours so the flavor knits — fresh-made tastes flat.