Tiger Nuts

What Are Tiger Nuts?

Tiger nuts, are small tubers, and not as the name suggest nuts, first used over 4000 years ago, and goes by many names: yellow nutgrass, earth almond, rush nut, edible rush and Zulu nut. In Spain it is called a Chufa.

There are many uses for the Tiger Nut, and one of them is the popular Mediterranean coastal drink Horchata (vegetable milk), which is well known and sold all over Spain, originating in Alboraya Valencia - Horchata is a refreshing sweet drink, that has a texture and flavour similar to coconut, and is usually accompanied by churros or fartons (spongy sweet bread-stick).

Tiger nuts are high in fibre and energy: natural sugars, fats, starch and proteins they also are rich in soluble oleic acid and glucose. Tiger nuts contain minerals such as, potassium and phosphorus and vitamins C and E.

Tiger Nuts are popular as fishing bait, and also the oil from the tiger nut is extracted for industrial use, cosmetics and flour for consumption.

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Horchata de chufa

250g dried tiger nuts
1 litre water
120g sugar
 

Step 1

Tiger nut milk

Place the Tiger nuts into a bowl and re

hydrate by soaking them for twenty four hours in the refrigerator this will also plump them out.

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Step 2

Drain and add 750ml of water and blend until pureed for about 2 minutes.

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Step 3

Drain off the tiger nuts using in a fine sieve or squeeze through a cheese cloth, extracting all the liquid from the Tiger nuts.

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Step 4

To the milky liquid add the sugar and the rest of the water, stair until dissolved.

The rest of the water can be in ice cubes if this is going to be drank immediately or water and placed in the fridge.

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Horchata

The finished product

 

 Optional: Lemon or cinnamon can be added.

 

Tiger Nuts Contain

 

 

 

 

Tiger Nuts