Tamarind

Tamarind

　　Tamarind is one of the specialties of Yuanmou. Its fruit is rich in crude protein, crude fat, organic acids, and trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, sodium, and magnesium. It has the effects of relieving summer heat, detoxifying, and quenching thirst. A series of products have been developed, including tamarind sugar slices, tamarind pulp, sesame tamarind, and tamarind juice. The total planting area in the county is 2,500 mu, with an annual yield of 25,000 tons and a reference price of 2–6 yuan per kilogram.

　　　Tamarind, also known as luowangzi, is a tall tree species. It grows in towns such as Jiangbian, Huangguayuan, Wumao, Julin, Nengyu, Pingtian, Yuanma, and Laocheng in Yuanmou at altitudes below 1,500 m, where the average temperature ranges from 19 to 23°C.

　　 　　Tamarind trees are highly drought-resistant. They begin to flower and bear fruit 3–5 years after planting, and enter a period of abundant fruiting after 8–10 years. The village of Leiding in Julin Township currently has the highest number of tamarind trees, exceeding 300, generating an annual income of over ten thousand yuan. Among them, the largest tree has a trunk circumference of about 9 meters and a height of about 10 meters, thick enough for six people to encircle with their arms. Tamarind trees flower in late spring to early summer, with small yellow flowers, and the fruits are harvested the following spring. Mature tamarind has a cooling effect that helps relieve summer heat. During the scorching summer days, locals enjoy soaking tamarind in water to make sour water, which serves as an ingredient for making pickled vegetables, cold noodles, cold jelly, and rice noodles. They also like to mix the sour water with a small amount of brown sugar, resulting in a sweet-and-sour taste that cools the stomach and relieves summer heat. Steelworkers even use it as a cooling beverage during high-temperature work. The annual yield is around 40,000–50,000 kilograms.

　　 　　In recent years, the county’s local products company and tourism bureau have also turned tamarind into a featured Yuanmou travel food. This product is convenient to carry and suitable for all ages, making it very popular among consumers. Tamarind is also exported to cities such as Shanghai, Wuhan, and Sichuan, and is a favored delicacy of the Bai people during the grand March festival in Dali.