[isaaclyman]

This reminded me, I keep wondering why the tamarind fruit has been left out of Western cuisine. You find trace amounts in Worcestershire sauce and the occasional Indian dish and you can get tamarind juice/candy at some Mexican places if you know what to look for, but by and large it's unheard of and unobtainable. Pity, too, it's got such a nice texture and flavor when prepared correctly.

I know tamarind trees aren't native to the Western hemisphere, but that hasn't ever stopped us before.

[mark-r]

I had a recipe for Pad Thai that called for Tamarind paste, and I couldn't even find it at at an Oriental grocery.

[colordrops]

What part of the country are you from? I'm guessing not a big city based on the term "Oriental". No offense taken :) It can be found in many of the Asian markets in Los Angeles.

[gtr]

Most likely the UK. Here Asian means Indian subcontinent, and Oriental is East Asian, and supermarket will typically have Oriental in its name somewhere.

[mark-r]

Nope, Minneapolis, MN, USA. Maybe it's an age thing.

[mark-r]

No, it's not me. I drive past two groceries on my commute, one called "Groceries of the Orient" and the other "Asian Direct Oriental Market".

[mirimir]

There's Italian tamerindo. It's great in carbonated water.