Tamarind Paste 1kg | Caribbean & Asian Cooking — Buy Australia

The Universal Sour — 1kg Pure Tamarind Paste

Tamarind is one of the world’s most versatile culinary ingredients — and in the Caribbean, it’s fundamental. Tamarind paste is the tangy, deep-brown flavouring extracted from the pulp of the tamarind pod, concentrated into a smooth paste ready to use. Sweet, sour, and slightly fruity all at once, it appears in Caribbean pepper sauces, chutneys, drinks, marinades, and street food from Trinidad to Jamaica — and equally in Indian curries, Thai pad thai, and Middle Eastern cooking.

Key Facts

• Weight: 1kg — bulk size, excellent value
• Type: Pure concentrated tamarind paste (no sugar added unless specified)
• Flavour: Intensely sour-sweet with fruity depth — the defining sourness agent of Caribbean and South Asian cooking
• Dietary: Vegan, gluten-free, naturally sugar-free
• Best Uses: Caribbean tamarind sauce, chutneys, pepper sauce, pad thai, Indian curries, marinades, drinks
• Storage: Refrigerate after opening. Lasts several months refrigerated.
• Shipped from: Sydney, Australia

Caribbean Tamarind — Beyond the Jar

In Trinidad & Tobago, tamarind is everywhere. Tamarind sauce is the essential topping on doubles (channa-filled bara), aloo pie, and pholourie. Tamarind balls — sugar-coated balls of sweet-sour tamarind paste — are one of the most beloved Caribbean street snacks. The fruit is also juiced into drinks and blended into pepper sauces as a souring agent. Understanding tamarind is key to understanding Trinidadian street food.

In Jamaica, tamarind appears in escoveitch fish marinades and as a souring agent in jerk preparations. Across the Caribbean more broadly, it fills the role that lemon juice plays in Mediterranean cooking — providing the essential acid counterpoint to rich, fatty, or spiced dishes.

For Australian cooks, 1kg of tamarind paste is a long-lasting pantry staple. Use a tablespoon in pad thai, a few tablespoons in a tamarind chutney, a dollop in a Caribbean sauce — the jar will last months in the refrigerator and give you an endlessly useful culinary ingredient across multiple cuisines.

How to Use

• Tamarind sauce (Caribbean): Mix 3 tbsp paste with water, sugar, cumin, and chadon beni. The classic doubles topping.
• Pad thai: 2 tbsp tamarind paste is the essential souring component of authentic pad thai sauce.
• Indian chutney: Blend tamarind paste with dates, sugar, cumin, and ginger for a classic imli (tamarind) chutney.
• Marinades: Add 1 tbsp to meat or fish marinades for tangy depth.
• Tamarind drink: Dissolve paste in water with sugar and salt for a refreshing tamarind agua fresca.

Serving Suggestions

• Use as the topping sauce on Bara Mix (Doubles) for an authentic Trinidadian street food experience
• Pair with Pholourie Mix — tamarind sauce is the traditional accompaniment
• Browse our Caribbean recipe collection for tamarind-based recipes

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