Thai Tamarind Concentrate - 16 oz jar

Tamarind sauce is a critical ingredient in many Thai foods, including the famous Pad Thai. Tamarind sauce is commonly used in various northern Thai dishes as a souring agent. Tamarind is also used in the manufacturing of ketchups, sauces--Chinese, Worcestershire, Barbecue, etc. Tamarind is also very effective as a natural preservative and marinade. Usually tamarind paste is mixed with water and strained, the resulting tamarind juice being what's used. This product is a concentrated form of tamarind juice (and very convenient to use because it removes the need for mixing & straining). Click ImportFood.com above to view our other products. Go to ImportFood.com to view more items, pictures and recipes.
Customer Review: great deal for the price
other places where offering 4 or 5 oz for the same price. it was sent and arrived quickly, faster than expected. great for asian recipes. good deal.

The bag was also invented in 1904. A merchant from Boston sent samples to his customers in little silk bags. When he discovered that people were brewing the leaves without removing them from the bags in order not to have to deal with the loose tea leaves, the bag as we know it today was born.

At the time of World War 2, Americans had no way to obtain green tea, as the usual sources had been banned from dealing with the United States. All leaves had to come from India, and they were black. When the war ended, the people of America were drinking almost 99% black, and that trend stayed the same until recently, when green came into vogue once more.

Iced tea is a popular drink in the United States, and is becoming more popular in other countries, though it will probably never reach the level of consumption by Americans. Surveys have shown that around 2.2 billion gallons of tea are consumed in the USA every year, and at least 85 percent of the total is iced. With a host of choices for their iced drinks, such as powdered, canned, and bottled for a quick pick me up, and the traditional brewed drink using either bags or loose leaves, people in the United States have proven their love for this delicious beverage.

In 1904, the World's Fair was held in St. Louis. For a long time, historians thought that iced tea was invented at this fair, but further investigation in later years proved them wrong. The fair did make the iced drink more popular, as the crowds thoroughly enjoyed their free samples served by Richard Blechynden, and it is felt that fair goers went back to their homes and spread the word about how delicious and refreshing the iced tea at the fair had been. Since people from all over the country attended the fair, word traveled to both coasts and everywhere in between, for after 1904, the popularity of iced tea grew. By the time World War 1 became a reality, people were purchasing special tall glasses known as "iced tea" glasses, long spoons for stirring, and lemon forks.

In a Southern cookbook published in 1879, a recipe for the iced drink appears, and it is prepared in a way that is similar to the way many people prepare it today, except the sugar is not added while the mixture is hot from brewing, the time when it dissolves best. Other recipes from 1884 and 1890 make it plain that people had been enjoying the iced drink before 1890. Lemon was, and still is, hugely popular in the iced mixture.

The History of Iced Tea

This was not, however, the first time that the iced drink had been available in the United States. Rewind to the 1800s. Cookbooks from that era prove that the iced drink was popular served in punches and made with green leaves - not black leaves. Sugar and quite a bit of liquor were added to these, and they were given interesting names in line with the times. The popularity of these punches continued into the mid 19^th century, and the names given to them begin to be regional and also patriotic in meaning.

During Prohibition, iced tea became even more popular as people had no choice but to locate alternative beverages to the beer, wine, and alcohol they had consumed. A recipe published in yet another Southern cookbook contained the recipe for iced tea that was used in the South for decades, and is still in use in some Southern kitchens today.

It has been estimated that fully 60% of all the tea drunk in America is consumed in the South, and about 90 percent of that is iced. In fact, iced tea is so beloved in the South that it has been fondly dubbed the "House Wine of the South". Southerners believe in sweetening their drink heavily, and the habit has spread to other parts of the country, where this concoction is known simply as "Sweet Tea". Lemon and mint, as well as whiskey, are popular additions to Southern style iced.

No matter how it is prepared, iced tea is here to stay!

The 18^th century also saw the start of refrigeration as we know it today. First there was the ice house. Then came the ice box, the first refrigerator, which was patented in 1830. Slabs of ice kept the contents cold, and were delivered several times a week by an ice man. Ice tea became even more popular as the availability of ice and a form of refrigeration became available to all. "Tea Punch" was still popular for parties and gatherings, made now with black leaves and green leaves, white sugar, heavy cream, and either claret or champagne, and usually served cold.

Iced tea has become popular in recent years as a mixed drink called an "Arnold Palmer" or a "Half and Half". This consists of half sweetened iced tea and half lemonade, which makes for an even sweeter drink than usual, but with a small note of sourness as well. A half and half can also be half unsweetened and half sweetened tea, which cuts the super sweet taste of most Southern drinks. In the Southeast, this is commonly called a "Chris Rock" as this comedian came from South Carolina.

In fact, lemon has been used in iced tea from the first glass of it served in this country! What we know today as "refrigerator tea" was known as "refrigerator tea" when it came into popularity around 1890. In 1893, the Chicago World's Fair sold the iced variety and also lemonade. Business was brisk, as more than $2000 was earned from the sales.

For many years, it was believed that iced tea was first introduced at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. A man by the name of Richard Blechynden, who was the Commissioner of Tea for India, was also the director of the East Indian Pavilion at the fair. Mr. Blechynden had prepared samples of hot tea for fairgoers, and noticed that no one was taking advantage of them, as it was an unseasonably hot day and everyone was going for the coldest beverages they could find. He had the idea of icing down his hot mixture, and presented it to the public that way. The crowds loved it, and word spread of this delicious way to enjoy a healthy drink. Mr. Blechynden did not invent the iced version, but made it more popular with Americans.

4" White Marble Mortar & Pestle

These health benefits of green tea have to be balanced against health drawbacks such those associated with caffeine - decaffeination unfortunately reduces the levels of catechins drastically. The good news is green tea can protect the brain at much lower amounts than necessary for its anti-cancer effects. A Finnish study found three cups of tea a day reduced risk of Parkinson's (Hu, 2007). An American study showed less risk in people that drank two cups or more of tea (Checkoway, 2002). As Dr. Mandel puts it: "I believe that a tea consumer can enjoy the wonderful taste of the different green tea preparations and at the same time get benefit from their biological effects. It is natural, does have access to the brain and is not toxic: in the worse instance, if it doesn't help [it] certainly won't cause any hurt."

Tea may be one of the oldest beverages on the planet, dating perhaps back a half a million years. It is also one of the hottest "new" nutraceuticals, or foods that may protect against disease. This is especially true of green tea, which contains potent anti-oxidant compounds that fight damaging free radicals. Green tea has been touted as fighting cancer, heart disease, and more. Now there is news that green tea can also fight brain damage caused by diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

References

Reznichenko L, Amit T, Youdim MB, Mandel S. "Green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate induces neurorescue of long-term serum-deprived PC12 cells and promotes neurite outgrowth." Journal Of Neurochemistry, 2005 Jun;93(5):1157-67.

Thinking Green (Tea, That Is)

Levites Y, Weinreb O, Maor G, Youdim MB, Mandel S. "Green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate prevents N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration." Journal Of Neurochemistry, 2001 Sep;78(5):1073-82

Recent scientific studies are showing that catechins may slow the damage done by Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. Studies from Israel have shown that one particular catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) both protects brain cells and stimulates regrowth of nerves (Levites, 2001, Reznichenko, 2005, Avramovich-Tirosh, 2007). "Our recent studies have shown that EGCG not only prevents neuron deterioration in Parkinsonism-induced mice brains, but it helped to regenerate the a-priori damaged neurons in the same brain area," said Dr. Silvia Mandel from the Eve Topf Center of Excellence for Neurodegenerative Diseases Research of the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

Hu G, Bidel S, Jousilahti P, Antikainen R, Tuomilehto J. "Coffee and tea consumption and the risk of Parkinson's disease." Movement Disorders, 2007 Nov 15;22(15):2242-8.

Avramovich-Tirosh Y, Reznichenko L, Mit T, Zheng H, Fridkin M, Weinreb O, Mandel S, Youdim MB. "Neurorescue activity, APP regulation and amyloid-beta peptide reduction by novel multi-functional brain permeable iron- chelating- antioxidants, M-30 and green tea polyphenol, EGCG." Current Alzheimer Research, 2007 Sep;4(4):403-11.

Matthew Craver is a freelance writer who has worked with doctors on a variety of different health education articles.

Radak Z, Kumagai S, Taylor AW, Naito H, Goto S. "Effects of exercise on brain function: role of free radicals." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, And Metabolism, 2007 Oct;32(5):942-6.

The bottom line: a cup of tea might not only help your thinking today it may keep you thinking better in the future.

EGCG is present in both brewed green tea and in commercial tea extracts. The amount of catechins in a cup of tea varies from 130-200mg, while tea extract capsules can contain from 35-200mg of EGCG. Like anything else, green tea can be too much of a good thing. "We have found that consuming high doses such the equivalent of more than 6 cups, is toxic to the mice, since the polyphenols become pro-oxidant," says Dr. Mandel, "like high doses of the antioxidant vitamins C and E, and they begin to kill neurons."

Nakagawa T, Yokozawa T. "Direct scavenging of nitric oxide and superoxide by green tea." Food And Chemical Toxicology, 2002 Dec;40(12):1745-50.

Checkoway H, Powers K, Smith-Weller T, Franklin GM, Longstreth WT Jr, Swanson PD. "Parkinson's disease risks associated with cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and caffeine intake." American Journal Of Epidemiology, 2002 Apr 15;155(8):732-8.
Graham HN. "Green tea composition, consumption, and polyphenol chemistry." Preventive Medicine, 1992 May;21(3):334-50.

Scientists are still finding out how these diseases cause loss of brain function, but free radicals are probably part of this process. Free radicals are molecules produced as a side-effect of your body's aerobic metabolism. Your body produces these as it "burns" sugars and other fuel into energy. Some processes use free radicals as signals or to carry out necessary reactions. If there are too many free radicals, they can attack other compounds that you need. When they attack the DNA in cell nuclei, they may cause cancer. When they attack proteins involved in metabolic pathways in brain cells, they may cause early death of those cells (Radak, 2007).