Tamarind Concentrate from Angkor Cambodian Food

Tamarind Paste, Ready to Use Straight Out of the Jar

Tamarind is a sour-sweet fruit that grows on the tamarind tree in large pods, which house the prized sticky pulp around seeds. The trees flourish in tropical climates, making tamarind a beloved ingredient in many kitchens across the globe, from Mexico and the Caribbean to India and parts of Southeast Asia, like Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Commercially, you’ll often find tamarind pulp sold in a compact block, which needs to be broken apart, soaked in hot water and strained before using. Angkor Cambodian Food takes the hassle out of preparing tamarind and does the work for you. Made with only tamarind and water, their Tamarind Concentrate is tart and tangy with a pleasing sourness and a tinge of molasses-like sweetness. The concentrate's pourable, thick, syrupy consistency makes it easy to incorporate into dressings, marinades, sauces and even drinks.

How to use

Use Angkor Cambodian Food's tamarind concentrate anywhere you want a rich, rounded tang of sourness. In Cambodia, one of the most popular ways of enjoying tamarind is Tuk Trey Ompearl Tum, a umami-packed sour dipping sauce of tamarind, fish sauce, garlic and chilies served alongside wraps and fresh spring rolls. 

Auria Abraham, founder of Auria's Malaysian Kitchen, loves using tamarind in a fish stew her mum used to make when she was growing up called Assam Pedas (meaning "Sour Spicy" in Malay). Tamarind, hot chilli sambal and lemongrass are cooked together to create a sweet-sour-spicy gravy for vegetables and hearty, white fish (typically Spanish Mackerel, but any firm, white fish works). Aromatic Makrut lime leaves are added at the end for an extra fresh, fragrant burst of flavor.

This sour-sweet ingredient is also essential to dishes like Pad Thai, Indian tamarind chutney, Persian tamarind fish and Mexican Agua de Tamarindo (a sweet and sour drink).

About the producer

Chef and founder Channy Laux was born in Cambodia and fled to the United States as a teenage refugee in 1979. Growing up, she continued to nurture her and her family's love for Cambodian cuisine, eventually leaving her career as an engineer to establish Angkor Cambodian Food in the San Francisco Bay Area.