There are no U.S. grade standards for Tamarind. These instructions have been developed by the Specialty Crops Inspection Division to assist officially licensed inspectors in making inspections, writing certificates and to assist in the proper identification of specialty type fruits and vegetables.
Tamarind is used for flavorings in curries and tropical drinks. It is the pod of a large tropical tree grown in the West Indies and Asia. Inside the pod are several compressed seeds surrounded by a brown acid pulp. This pulp is used for flavorings.