Mangalore Spice

Mangalore, Karnataka

Among the lesser known spices of India, Malabar Tamarind is one that stands unique for its culinary value. Primarily a souring agent it can be used as a substitute for Tamarind in many dishes. The rind of the Cambodge fruit contains Hydroxycitric acid (HCA) which is widely used in anti-obesity drugs. In appearance Malabar Tamarind looks like a small pumpkin which is usually green to pale yellow. The dried rind is used as a condiment, especially to flavour fish curries in Kerala. The dried rind of Cambodge along with salt is used in Colombo curing which is a pickling process for fish and is practiced by the fishermen in Sri Lanka and the west coast of India. Camdodge also finds wide use in traditional medicinal preparations. Of late it has been promoted as effective method to lose weight.