“Your tangy earthbound pulp, a portal to biological brilliance.” Tamarind is a key ingredient to the wheelhouse of many equatorial chefs. This week, Jessamine gathers in conversation Sam Fore of Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites in Lexington, Kentucky; Parnass Savang of Talat Market in Atlanta, Georgia; and Maricela Vega of Chico, also in Atlanta. All three chefs are combining their familiar homeland foods—from Sri Lanka, Thailand and Mexico—with their current surroundings in the American South. Despite using the same fruit, the different ways tamarind manifests in their unique recipes is a fascinating testament to their ingenuity. Topics covered in this episode: Min 0:00: Tamarind Love Letter & Intro Min 2:26: Description of Tamarind Min 3:37: Meet Sam Fore Min 4:07: Sam discusses her Sri Lankan heritage & introduction to cooking  Min 6:04: Sam shares how she uses tamarind Min 8:14: How to make seeni sambol Min 9:18: Tamarind as a tenderizer  Min 11:09: Meet Parnass Savang Min 12:10: Parnass shares his journey to owning his restaurant Min 13:50: Thai food from scratch Min 15:47: Tamarind in Thai cuisine Min 16:42: Massaman curry recipe Min 18:39: Access to tamarind in Atlanta Min 19:44: Meet Maricela Vega Min 21:17: Chico’s efforts to bridge the gap between Mexico and American South Min 23:00: How Maricela cooks with tamarind Min 24:55: Mangonadas, tamarind straws and ponches Min 26:39: How to make ponches Min 27:47: Tamarind Cayenne Honey Learn more about this episode of Fruit Love Letters at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG and Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at /WhetstoneRadio. Guests: Sam Fore (@tuktuklex), Parnass Savang (@talatmarketatl), Maricela Vega (@chicoooatl)