Pad Thai is a Thai dish that is an American take-out favorite. To give it its signature vibrant and complex flavor, it requires one essential ingredient: tamarind.

Tamarind brings tangy and slightly sweet notes that'll achieve the perfect balance of sourness in the sauce while melding with other components.

A member of the pea family, tamarind's tasty essence is contained in a long pod. Fresh tamarind is hard to come across, so it is often used in a processed form.

Tamarind pulp, which captures the bright and zesty flavors, is a good option. The pulp consists exclusively of fruit flesh and is condensed into a brick.

Whether you just finished soaking the pulp or opted for concentrate, it's the first ingredient in the sauce bowl before you can assemble the other pad Thai stir-fry components.