Tamarind

What to drink: A big red with lots of fruit, such as a California Zinfandel; an off-dry white with rich fruit, such as an Alsatian Pinot Gris; or pale ale.

The name of this cake derives from the flavors that are reminiscent of the classic mole, an aromatic, delicious chocolaty savory sauce that originated in Pueblo, Mexico. I have always thought that dried chiles were a surprisingly good match for chocolate, and with the addition of canela, cloves, and pumpkin seeds, the full mole flavors emerge. For a shortcut, substitute sectioned grapefruit for the orange caramel.

Tamarind seasoning paste Smoky, earthy, and with a sweet-and-sour tang, this recado is also delicious on pork, beef, and venison.

Tamarind paste, from a pod with a sweet-tangy pulp, is common in Hawaiian cooking.

The tamarind, a tropical shade tree native to India, also grows in Southeast Asia, Africa, Hawaii, Mexico, South America, and, of course, the Caribbean. Its long brown brittle bean-like pods each hold a sweet-sour sticky brown pulp containing up to ten seeds. Its flavor is akin to dates mixed with lemon and peaches. Just as we in the West often use a squeeze of lemon to lift the richness of a dish, in Asia they use tamarind. The American palate is not accustomed to the tamarind's particular brand of sourness, and so Western dishes using the fruit are usually tempered by ingredients that soften its acidity. In this dish, the heavy cream in the Smoky Plantain Crema balances the tamarind's acidity, while the chipotles complement the flavor of the grilled duck meat. When preparing this, note that the duck should marinate overnight.

On the eastern side of the Indian peninsula, fronting the Bay of Bengal, is Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu state. This recipe from that cosmopolitan city is typically made with sardines, mackerel, and crab, but we have substituted orange roughy for a more delicately flavored dish.

Fluffy, sweet Hawaiian rolls layered with melted cheese and spicy-sweet seeni sambol are the perfect crowd-pleasing snack.

In this fiery Indian classic, chunks of pork shoulder and succulent pork belly are cooked until tender in a tangy, spicy chile-vinegar sauce. 

Toasty, nutty fried tempeh coated in a caramelized spice paste—plus lots of vegetables for good measure.

Roasting, then grinding masala adds a depth of flavor to these chicken wings from chef Preeti Mistry.

Chaat masala adds salty-tangy flavor to this pan-fried fish, and balances the sweet and herby tamarind sauce and cilantro chutney.

Tamarind concentrate gives this chicken its sticky, glossy quality, not to mention its sweet-and-sour flavor.

Indian grocers sell prepared tamarind chutney, which you can easily substitute for the homemade version here.

Proof that fried onions are good on anything—even a slaw. (This recipe was developed with IBM's Chef Watson.)