Tamarind is a brown bean enclosing a number of black seeds (tamarind seeds) from the tamarind tree. It has a refreshing sweet, sour taste with a slight fruity aroma. The pulp of a young fruit is very sour, and hence suitable for main dishes. Tamarind pulp concentrate is popular as a flavoring in East Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine. It's used to season full flavored foods such as chutney, curry dishes and pickled fish, whereas a ripened fruit is sweeter and can be used in preparing number of different desserts, sweet drinks, or as a snack. It is also used as a spice in curries and chutneys, for which purpose it is particularly popular in parts of India. In most Asian cooking, it is used extensively in making juices, soups, bean dishes and chutneys, and also in the preparation of seafood. The pulp, leaves, and the bark also have medical applications.