Mouldy tamarind? Phetchabun deputy governor proves it's perfectly safe
The sight of mould on food would deter anybody, but Phetchabun province’s deputy governor went on stage to prove that white fungus on tamarind is perfectly safe.
Deputy governor Chatchawan Benjasiriwong had a big bite of the mouldy sweet tamarind at this year’s Nakhon Ban Phetchabun Sweet Tamarind Fair, which wrapped up on Sunday.
The event was held to promote the northern province’s delicacy, especially its most expensive Si Thong variety.
Chatchawan said he wanted to show the public that the white fungus is harmless and does not affect the quality of the sweet fruit.
“Some people don’t know this and may throw away the tamarind, thinking it has rotted,” he said.
Chatchawan was also the biggest bidder in the auction of Si Thong sweet tamarind at the fair, bagging a kilogram for 16,000 baht. The auction raised a total of 60,500 baht.
Jintana Sanamchaikul, a researcher from Phetchabun Rajabhat University, was also invited to speak at the fair about the edibility of white mould.
“We have had the mould tested at the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology [Biotec] in Bangkok, which confirmed that the fungus is toxin-free and therefore edible,” she said.
“Biotec has also confirmed that mouldy sweet tamarind has 1,000 times more antioxidants than non-mouldy ones. This means that eating mouldy sweet tamarind is good for you,” Jintana added.
