White Popinac or Wild Tamarind
River Tamarind, Horse Tamarind or Pak Kra Thin
The Plant
The white popinac (Leucaena leucocephala) is a fast-growing tree in the legume family that originally comes from Central America and is now widespread
throughout Southeast Asia. In Thailand it is called
Because the ripe pods resemble tamarind, the plant also goes by the names “wild tamarind”, “river tamarind” or “horse tamarind”. In Vietnam it is known as
The white popinac has three edible parts:
- Young leaves and shoot tips (
) - Young green pods (
) - Seeds or kernels (
)
Most often, the young leaves and shoot tips make it onto the plate. They are usually eaten raw as a fresh side vegetable with Nam Prik or salads, occasionally also briefly cooked. The young green pods are likewise eaten raw, less often cooked. The seeds are usually removed from riper pods and used separately. Raw, they are sprinkled as a topping over Som Tam or eaten in curries and Nam Prik.
Pods
The young, soft pods are not yet ripe and are used both raw and cooked in various dishes. They taste slightly of garlic but also have a bitter note and remind
me in flavor of
Since the pods become tough and fibrous as they ripen, they should be harvested as young as possible. For warm dishes, Thais therefore usually use the young shoot tips instead of the pods.
With a bit of luck, you can find the fresh pods in the refrigerated section of well-stocked Asian supermarkets.