Dotted around the grounds of Gecko Villa, you will find several tamarind trees. These have been grown in Thailand for centuries as the tree can serve a multitude of purposes. Whilst not indigenous, it is believed that the trees were brought to Thailand more than seven centuries ago, in all likelihood from South America, India or Indonesia.

More mature tamarind trees provide ample shade from the sun, so sitting underneath one is perhaps the ideal place to start exploring its qualities…

Tamarind wood is tough and durable, so can make strong floorboards or tools, and is especially prized when used in simple slices - tamarind chopping boards are reputed for their ability to last an eternity under the blow of innumerable cleavers, and you will see them taking pride of place in many restaurants and kitchens.

The fruit of the tamarind tree appears in long, knobbly pods. Crack one of these open when ripe and you will find a sticky dark paste with twine-like fibres and hard seeds, known as "Makham Piak". By taking this pulp and mixing and rubbing it with water, and then removing the seeds and fibres, a smooth, dark treacle coloured paste results.

The pulp is widely used in Thai cooking. Tamarind paste has a distinctive, alluring yet sour taste that can be used in the place of lime juice, or sweetened with palm sugar to make a delectable sweet. Many spicy salad dishes, known as "Yam", will use the gentler tamarind in preference to lime, for example in a Wing Bean Salad or Banana Leaf Salad. Curries such as Gaeng Som cannot authentically be made without tamarind pulp enhancing the prawn or fish based dish replete with numerous vegetables. And even the venerable "Pad Thai" or Thai stir fried noodles traditionally use tamarind paste. You will also see the pulp being mixed with both fish sauce for saltiness and palm sugar for sweetness to make a thick and sticky dipping sauce to enhance green mango or fruit.

In addition,  tender young tamarind  leaves may be used in dishes to impart a subtle, tart flavour.

The fruit is a natural medicine and is used to treat coughs and congestion; it aids digestion and, in larger doses, serves as a laxative. It may also be used to soften skin. In days of yore, the pulp would be used as a conditioner: left to soak on the scalp for a while, it would kill all lice or fungal growths. The mahouts of the Royal elephants knew this secret well, and would use it to remove flies form their wards.

The pulp may also be used to clean, polish and reinvigorate copper, silver and brass.

Take a closer look in the grounds of Gecko Villa and see how many tamarind trees you can find, and bear in mind they are wood stocks, grocery stores, medicine chests and cleaners!