Discover the sweet, sour and surprisingly versatile fruit behind one of Southeast Asia’s most distinctive flavors. Some ingredients are instantly recognizable by their color or aroma. Tamarind stands out because of its taste. Sweet, sour, fruity and slightly savory, it brings a remarkable depth of flavor to everything from traditional Asian dishes to contemporary cocktails.
For centuries, tamarind has played an important role in cuisines around the world. Yet behind the bar, its potential is only beginning to be explored.
At Bandoeng’22, our fascination with tamarind comes from our Dutch-Indonesian heritage and our love for the vibrant flavors of Southeast Asia. It is also the inspiration behind our latest creation: Bandoeng’22 Spiced Tamarind Liqueur.
What is Tamarind exactly?
Tamarind is a tropical fruit that grows on the tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica). The fruit develops inside long, brown, slightly curved pods. Beneath the brittle shell lies a dark, sticky pulp surrounding hard seeds.
This pulp is what makes tamarind so special. It combines natural acidity with fruity sweetness, creating a flavor that is both refreshing and remarkably rich.
Originally native to tropical Africa, tamarind traveled across continents and became an essential ingredient in many regional cuisines, particularly in India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.
Today, tamarind can be found in curries, soups, sauces, marinades, candies and refreshing drinks. Its ability to bring sweetness and acidity together makes it an exceptionally versatile ingredient.
What does Tamarind taste like?
Tamarind has a distinctive flavor that is difficult to compare to any single fruit. Depending on its ripeness and preparation, its taste can bring to mind:
- The tangy freshness of lime or green apple
- The rich sweetness of dates and dried fruit
- Subtle notes of caramel and brown sugar
- A gentle earthy character
- A slightly savory, almost umami-like depth
Unripe tamarind tends to be particularly sour, while ripe tamarind develops a sweeter, rounder and more complex character. Unlike the bright, direct acidity of lemon or lime, tamarind offers a deeper, fruitier kind of sourness. This makes it especially interesting in cooking, food pairing and cocktails. It doesn’t simply add acidity. It adds character.
Tamarind in Indonesian and Southeast Asian cuisine
Throughout Southeast Asia, tamarind is much more than an exotic fruit. It is a familiar ingredient in everyday cooking, valued for the way it balances and connects different flavors. In Indonesia, tamarind is known as asam jawa. It appears in traditional dishes such as sayur asem, sauces, sambals and refreshing drinks.
One particularly colorful example is rujak, also spelled roedjak: a traditional Indonesian fruit dish that combines fresh tropical fruits with a bold, flavorful dressing. Depending on the regional recipe, the dressing may include palm sugar, chili, tamarind, peanuts or shrimp paste. The result is an exciting combination of sweet, sour, spicy and savory flavors.
For many Indonesian families and Dutch-Indonesian communities, rujak is more than a dish. Its unmistakable flavors bring back memories of family gatherings, shared food and the tastes of home. That distinctive balance of flavors became an important inspiration for Bandoeng’22 Spiced Tamarind Liqueur.
Tamarind and Rempah: A world of flavors
To understand our fascination with tamarind, it helps to understand rempah. Rempah is closely connected to the aromatic herbs and spices that give Indonesian cuisine its remarkable depth and character. It is about combining ingredients to create layers of flavor rather than allowing one element to dominate.
For us at Bandoeng’22, rempah also has a personal meaning. It takes us back to our grandmothers’ kitchens, where fragrant spices, fresh ingredients and family recipes came together. Places filled with wonderful aromas, familiar flavors and memories that remain with us today.
Although tamarind is a fruit rather than a spice, it fits naturally into this world. Its sweet-and-sour character brings contrast and balance to warming spices, chili and savory ingredients. This interplay between different flavors is central to our approach at Bandoeng’22: taking inspiration from our heritage and translating it into contemporary liqueurs.
Why Tamarind works so well in cocktails
What makes tamarind such an interesting cocktail ingredient? The answer lies in its ability to bring several flavor dimensions together. Tamarind offers fruity acidity, natural sweetness and a distinctive depth that can complement both refreshing and spirit-forward cocktails. It works particularly well with ingredients such as rum, tequila, mezcal, whiskey, ginger, chili, pineapple and cucumber.
In a refreshing highball, tamarind can bring brightness and a fruity tang. Combined with tequila or mezcal, its sweet-and-sour character creates an exciting contrast with earthy agave notes. Paired with aged rum or whiskey, it can add complexity and a rich fruit character.
Tamarind also lends itself beautifully to culinary-inspired cocktails, where sweet, sour, spicy and savory flavors come together. Think of a refreshing Tamarind Paloma, a lively Tamarind Mule or a rich Spiced Tamarind Old Fashioned. Different cocktails, each revealing another side of this remarkable fruit.
From Tamarind to Spiced Tamarind Liqueur
Inspired by the flavors of Indonesian rujak, we set out to create a liqueur that captures the distinctive character of tamarind while bringing something new to the cocktail world.
The result is Bandoeng’22 Spiced Tamarind Liqueur, a contemporary interpretation of Southeast Asian flavors, crafted in Schiedam, the Netherlands. Made with tamarind, Indonesian arrack, cucumber, warming spices and a subtle touch of chili, the liqueur brings together sweet, sour, spicy and savory notes in a layered, balanced flavor experience.
Fresh and fruity on the nose, lively and refreshing on the palate, with a gently warming, spiced finish. With an alcohol content of 22%, Spiced Tamarind Liqueur was created to offer bartenders a distinctive ingredient for both classic cocktails and original creations.
Following its introduction in the Netherlands and presentation at Bar Convent Berlin 2026, Bandoeng’22 Spiced Tamarind Liqueur is now available through wholesalers and selected liquor stores in the Netherlands. From a traditional ingredient deeply rooted in Indonesian cuisine to a contemporary liqueur behind the bar, tamarind has found a new expression.
Discover the sweet & sour side of Bandoeng’22
Curious to experience tamarind in a cocktail? Explore our collection of Spiced Tamarind cocktails, from refreshing highballs and tropical combinations to bold, spirit-forward serves. Or discover the story, ingredients and flavor profile behind Bandoeng’22 Spiced Tamarind Liqueur.
