The black velvet tamarind is the fruit of a native West African tree (dialium guineense) cultivated not for its fruits but as a source of timber and fuel!Black velvet tamarind or Dialium Guineense Wild is also known as Nigerian velvet tamarind. It is a typical tamarind with black velvety hard shell, orange sticky pulp and flat circular brown seed. Compared to tamarind, this Nigerian tamarind has the sweeter sour taste. It can be freshly consumed as a snack, dried, or soaked into water and drink the water afterwards as juice.
TO EAT: You crack the soft black, velvet shells to extract a small orange fruit.The pulp of the fruit is rich in vitamin C, sodium, iron, magnesium and potassium.