Growing up in the small town of Bondoukou, Côte d’Ivoire in the early seventies, the common soda was too expensive to drink on a daily basis. In order to quench our thirst on a hot summer day with something other than water, my mother would make what she called “Tomi Dji”, which translates to “tamarind water” from the family’s recipe repertoire of gingery summer coolers. Tomi dji was affordable and easy to make. For a fruit too sour to eat at his young green stage, tangy and acidic when matured, a sugary drink seemed like the right fit.
The tamarind tree, indigenous to central and west Africa, is a member of the legume family that bears edible fruit. It produces brown, pod-like fruits that contain a sweet, tangy pulp. The pulp of the tamarind fruit has a multitude of uses around the globe. It is used in cuisines in some countries, while in others it finds its way into traditional medecine and metal polish. In India, they use the tender young leaves of the tamarind tree in the local cuisine.
Due to its versatility, tamarind is cultivated in many countries around the world, mainly in tropical and subtropical areas. The fruit of the tamarind tree looks like a peapod measuring between 4 1/ 2 to 6 inches in length but with a hard, brown outer shell when dried.The fruit inside the pod has a fleshy and acidic pulp that is built around a flattened brown seed. When matured the edible sweet and sour flesh turns brown in color.
When not used in savory dishes, tamarind is a great ingredient for a summer drink. I remember eating tamarind as my mother was preparing them for the tomi dji. As a kid, I will suck the brown pulp off the seeds, and spit the little seeds out. Although sour, tamarins are one of those ingredients that grow on you as you eat them. You can’t stop once you start eating them. After being soaked and rubbed to release its seeds, the tender flesh is turned into a delicious, lemonade like substance that is sold as a thirst quencher in some parts of africa. We call it “Tomi Dji” in my dialect Dioula. My mother’s recipe was quite different from the well known Mexican version called Agua de Tamarindo. Our family’s recipe adds pineapple, mint and vanilla to enlighten the natural sour taste of the tamarind.
Ingredients
- 1 pound tamarind pods
- 8 cups of water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped ginger,
- 2 cups pineapple chopped
- 6 cloves, whole
- 1 bunch mint
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
Instructions
- Crack open the tamarind pods and peel off the veins.
- Place the peeled tamarind fruit in a bowl with 5 cups of water.
- Soak for an hour
- Use your hands to mash the fruit and remove the seeds.
5. Strain the mixture into a pitcher. And set aside.
6. Add the remaining cups of water and sugar , ginger, pineapple, mint and cloves to a blender, turn on and purée.
7. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Squeeze the pulp to release all liquid.
8. Mix the pineapple mixture into the tamarind base. Transfer the tamarind-pineapple mixture into a serving pitcher. Add the vanilla extract, stir to blend. Chill the Tamarind juice until cold before serving.
9. Stir well and serve over ice.
Originally published at https://myeatstory.com on July 3, 2020.
