Cultivars/varieties of Tamarind?

[KimYoonmi]

So I bought some tamarind and got them to grow. But I'm trying to see if I can find the variety/cultivar from pictures of which is which?

One claims to be grown in CA, from looking online it's either West Indian or African.

Another I got from a Mexican market (sour, but it has a different seed size and shape from the previous) It's slightly sweeter than the previous one. Probably African or West Indian from the seed count. Smaller seeds than the previous one.

and a third is from Thailand (some sweet variety from the box's description). Does anyone know enough about tamarind to know the cultivars?

Does anyone know a website where I might be able to identify tamarind specific cultivar from the fruit?

I managed to get all three cultivars to grow... but I kinda want to know what they are.

I'm looking to something similar to what we have with avocados.

[Rain]

There are quite a few Sweet tamarind variety in Thailand. Found this old video different characteristic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfJGHJIWiV0

1. Muen Jong (Time stamp 0:15)
Leaf: start out pink then turn green
Flower: Pink orange
Fruit: big and round almost a full circle
Taste: sweet and crunchy
Harvest: December

2. SriChomPu (1:05)
Leaf: dark pink/red then turn green
Flower: Red yellow
Fruit: Straight and fat, almost without curve
Taste: sweet, less sticky, less fiber
Harvest: November

3. Si Tong (1:50)
Leaf: bigger leaf, start out pink
Flower: red yellow
Fruit: big fruit, golden brown color
Taste: sweet with no tartness
Harvest: January

4. Kuntee (2:30)
Leaf: pink green, Smaller leaf, tree also smaller compare to others
Flower: red yellow
Fruit: straight, dark flesh, thick skin
Taste: sweet, more fiber around the flesh
Harvest: January

5. Intapalum (3:20)
Leaf: big leaf, start green yellow
Flower:
Fruit: slightly curve like a letter C, less fiber around the meat
Taste: sweet and sour. less sticky/chewy
Harvest: January

6. Prakai Tong (4:13)
Leaf: green yellow before it turn dark green
Flower: Yellow orange
Fruit: big round and fat and almost straight, thin skin
Taste: describe as absolute sweetness. no sourness at all, sticky/chewy
Harvest: November

7. Prakai Petch (4:55)
Leaf: pink then turn green, big leaf
Flower: orange yellow
Fruit: big fruit, flat with a curve like the letter C, thick skin, golden brown
Taste: sweet, almost taste like Srichompu
Harvest: December


There are newer variety as well call Petch Sap Poep(Sap Poep is name of a district) that being cultivate and getting popular.

[Rain]

Srichompu on the left, Prakai Tong on the right

[gozp]

Is grafting a sweet tamarind to a sour tamarind as rootstock compatible?

[Rain]

Yes, they are compatible.

[Altrexy]

Do you guys know if tamarind (specifically sweet tamarind) needs cross pollination to set fruit? I bought my tree from the nursery with fruit on it last year and it’s been flowering like crazy all of this year but set no fruit. It’s definitely big enough

[KimYoonmi]

There are quite a few Sweet tamarind variety in Thailand. Found this old video different characteristic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfJGHJIWiV0

1. Muen Jong (Time stamp 0:15)
Leaf: start out pink then turn green
Flower: Pink orange
Fruit: big and round almost a full circle
Taste: sweet and crunchy
Harvest: December

2. SriChomPu (1:05)
Leaf: dark pink/red then turn green
Flower: Red yellow
Fruit: Straight and fat, almost without curve
Taste: sweet, less sticky, less fiber
Harvest: November

3. Si Tong (1:50)
Leaf: bigger leaf, start out pink
Flower: red yellow
Fruit: big fruit, golden brown color
Taste: sweet with no tartness
Harvest: January

4. Kuntee (2:30)
Leaf: pink green, Smaller leaf, tree also smaller compare to others
Flower: red yellow
Fruit: straight, dark flesh, thick skin
Taste: sweet, more fiber around the flesh
Harvest: January

5. Intapalum (3:20)
Leaf: big leaf, start green yellow
Flower:
Fruit: slightly curve like a letter C, less fiber around the meat
Taste: sweet and sour. less sticky/chewy
Harvest: January

6. Prakai Tong (4:13)
Leaf: green yellow before it turn dark green
Flower: Yellow orange
Fruit: big round and fat and almost straight, thin skin
Taste: describe as absolute sweetness. no sourness at all, sticky/chewy
Harvest: November

7. Prakai Petch (4:55)
Leaf: pink then turn green, big leaf
Flower: orange yellow
Fruit: big fruit, flat with a curve like the letter C, thick skin, golden brown
Taste: sweet, almost taste like Srichompu
Harvest: December


There are newer variety as well call Petch Sap Poep(Sap Poep is name of a district) that being cultivate and getting popular.

Thanks. Will help me find out which one it is.

Looks from the pictures you provided more like the Srichompu. Rounder, not flat pods, only soft curve, darker brown. I'll see if I can post pictures.





Picture of the Sour Tamarind I got too:


Flatter pods, less seeds.

I got both of them to grow tamarind trees.

[KimYoonmi]

Do you guys know if tamarind (specifically sweet tamarind) needs cross pollination to set fruit? I bought my tree from the nursery with fruit on it last year and it’s been flowering like crazy all of this year but set no fruit. It’s definitely big enough

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/294657135_Phenology_and_controlled_pollination_studies_in_Tamarind

https://www.thuenen.de/media/institute/fg/PDF/Silvae_Genetica/1998/Vol._47_Heft_5-6/47_5-6_237.pdf

Is self incompatible. You need a second tree or to graft a second cultivar?

[xesoteryc]

I’m learning to grow Tamarind right now myself, seeds came from some great fruit with the perfect balance of sweet and sour. I plan to eventually graft some of them if I can find scion wood here down the road

One of the few trees you see growing like a beast in third world countries, where water is scarce + blazing temperatures.

[KimYoonmi]

Pretty easy to grow tamarind from seed. Don't refrigerate the fruit. Eat the fruit around the seeds. Boil some water, pour boiling water over seeds. Let them soak 24 hours. Then sandwich bag+moist paper towel. You might want to sprinkle some cinnamon on them to keep them from molding. Change paper towel. The seeds should sprout in about 2 weeks. After they sprout, they grow pretty fast and robustly. Be aware that only 1/5 seeds tend to sprout well and sturdily. Carob seeds are easier to sprout.

[Rain]

KimYoonmi, that does look like Srichompu. It could be mixed with Kuntee. Kuntee is popular for export due to fungal resistant and thicker skin.

[Rain]

Srichompu should have very little fiber around the flesh like this.


This is Kuntee

Kuntee but premium looking

[Rain]

This video have info providing the sour giants in Thailand. Have part english sub title starting at 2 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tu01j1xAINU

They usually get process into juice, soap, pickled, sauce, cooking etc.

Pickle tamarind

[ben mango]

Pretty easy to grow tamarind from seed. Don't refrigerate the fruit. Eat the fruit around the seeds. Boil some water, pour boiling water over seeds. Let them soak 24 hours. Then sandwich bag+moist paper towel. You might want to sprinkle some cinnamon on them to keep them from molding. Change paper towel. The seeds should sprout in about 2 weeks. After they sprout, they grow pretty fast and robustly. Be aware that only 1/5 seeds tend to sprout well and sturdily. Carob seeds are easier to sprout.

Or you can just plant them …

[KimYoonmi]

Srichompu should have very little fiber around the flesh like this.


This is Kuntee

Kuntee but premium looking

Nope. Definitely the Sri from your pictures of the insides. Thanks you so much for your help. <3 I'm now 100% positive of the variety.

[KimYoonmi]

Pretty easy to grow tamarind from seed. Don't refrigerate the fruit. Eat the fruit around the seeds. Boil some water, pour boiling water over seeds. Let them soak 24 hours. Then sandwich bag+moist paper towel. You might want to sprinkle some cinnamon on them to keep them from molding. Change paper towel. The seeds should sprout in about 2 weeks. After they sprout, they grow pretty fast and robustly. Be aware that only 1/5 seeds tend to sprout well and sturdily. Carob seeds are easier to sprout.

Or you can just plant them …

They need to be stratified. I tried straight planting and it didn't work. Plus the boiled water over method gets rid of the sugar and extra pulp so there is less chance the seed will rot.