Exploring Tamarind: A versatile spice and innovative value addition in wine production

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) is a multipurpose ancient spice valued for its tangy-sweet flavor, which is being transformed through innovative post-harvest technologies into wine. The Fruit pulp is highly nutritious and various value-added products have been developed for easier handling, storage and transportation, while extending its shelf life. These products range from Tamarind toffee, Tamarind pickle, Tamarind jam, squash, wine and offering distinct flavors and potential health benefits. Table wine, fermented using tamarind pulp, is widely known for its medicinal properties and applications in the food industries. The must was extracted and fermented with sugar and two different strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Red wine yeast and Belgian wit yeast), to produce wine from the pulp of red, sour and sweet varieties of tamarind. Bio-component and sensory analyses were conducted to identify the proximate and organoleptic attributes of the wine. The variation in proximate property values of wine were recorded as alcohol content (8.40% to 10.62%), moisture (23% to 29.5%), pH (2.38 to 3.45), ash (1.3% to 2.5%), total soluble solid (3.2 °Brix to 11 °Brix), titrable acidity (1 mg/ml to 5.1 mg/ml), carbohydrate (1.1% to 3.65%), vitamin C (10.3 mg/ml to 22.3 mg/ml), and antioxidant (37.1 mMol/l to 75.9 mMol/l). It was found that Belgian wit yeast yielded good production of wine from the sweet Tamarind. It showed optimal values for alcohol (8.14%), moisture (26%), pH (3.15), ash (2.1%), total soluble solid (9.3 °Brix), titrable acidity (2 mg/ml), carbohydrate (3.4%), vitamin C (22.3 mg/ml), antioxidant (74.6 mMol/l). It also registered the higher organoleptic values for flavor (7.3), color (7.0), aroma (6.5), consistency (7.5), taste (8.5) and overall acceptability (8.5). This research demonstrates a breakthrough in utilizing tamarind (Tamarindus indica) for producing value-added wine with optimal alcohol content (8%), high antioxidant activity (74.6 mMol/L) and excellent sensory attributes (8.5).