Eric Stern first fell in love with tamarind fruit in Southern California, where he lived for over two decades. In its natural form, it’s been described as a sweet and sour super fruit with notes of figs, apricots, and dates with lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.
Tamarind trees have been around for thousands of years, and are now found primarily in Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. They can take up to 15 years to mature. The fruit pulp is used in both sweet and savory foods, while the leaves are enjoyed for tea. The seeds can be boiled and mashed into cakes.
The trees can be grown in parts of Florida and Hawaii, but you’ll typically only see tamarind drinks in Latin markets and restaurants within the U.S. What is available is typically filtered and highly sweetened. You may have also unknowingly enjoyed tamarind in Pad Thai, Worcestershire sauce, or the sauce for your samosas at your local Indian restaurant.
Eric was eager to bring the unique taste of tamarind to his community but in a more natural nutritious form.
How Gnaw Bear Came To Be
He obtained the fruit from numerous international sources and found Asia supplied the tamarind with the best balance of sweetness and sourness.
Next, he figured out how to keep some pulp in the drink for its nutritional benefits and provided a mild sweetness with stevia and monk fruit. He then gave his tamarind drink the creative name of “Gnaw Bear,” a playful nod to his Father’s self-loathed first name of Norbert (said with a French accent 😉). Plus, he loved the image, now his logo, of a bear relaxing and enjoying the fruit!
Eric took his beverages to farmers markets where he received heartwarming reactions of nostalgia and gratitude, especially from Asian, Indian, Latin American and Caribbean customers. They praised the natural unadulterated taste of his tamarind drink. Those who had never tried the fruit were in awe of the new flavor.
His love of the fruit has not waned. He’s found all sorts of creative ways to enjoy his tamarind drink, including his favorite – a pork loin glaze. You’ll find a list of recipes for cocktails, mocktails and even desserts on the Gnaw Bear website.
GFG is a great home for Gnaw Bear and Eric loves the store’s focus on natural foods. His future aspirations include expanding his distribution in the mid-Atlantic area and developing new beverages that incorporate the sweet and sour goodness and nutrition of tamarind. His goal is to make tamarind a celebrated, consistent part of the American palate!
Meet Eric and try his tamarind drinks at these vendor days from 1-3 pm: July 18 & August 7
