Micah Stanley
In Spain, tiger nuts have been on everyone’s lips since the Middle Ages. They are still among our insider tips. In the kitchen, the gluten-free and lactose-free tubers prove a tempting variety.
The tiger nut – neither nut nor almond
Tigernuts (Cyperus esculentus) is both the “fruits” of the plant and the tiger nut plant itself. Tigernuts are also called tigernuts. Nevertheless, the tiger nut is neither a nut tree nor – like the almond – a stone fruit. The tiger nut plant, on the other hand, belongs to the sourgrass family. It, therefore, looks like grass.
Pea-sized, brown nodules form at their roots – the tiger nuts. They are sold dried and ground as tiger nut products.
The name tiger nut is actually only due to the fact that the nodules are reminiscent of the taste of almonds.
The homeland of the tiger nut is probably Africa. The wondrous nodules have been used there as food and medicine for thousands of years. The tiger nut was of particular importance in ancient Egypt, as finds in the tombs of the pharaohs have shown. The tubers were boiled in beer, for example, or enjoyed together with honey as a dessert.
The tiger nut came to Europe with the Arabs, who brought it to Spain around the 8th century AD. As a result, the plant made it to America, where it is still cultivated today.
Tigernuts – Rare but versatile
Despite their long history, tiger nuts are still largely unknown in Europe. Only in Spain – especially in the Valencia region – does the so-called “Chufa” still have a very special status. Here, on an area of around 900 hectares, around 9,000 tons of tiger nuts are harvested every year. They are primarily used to make “horchata de chufa” (tiger nut milk), a drink made with ice water, soaked tiger nuts, and – unfortunately – a lot of sugar.
Tigernuts can also be eaten raw, roasted, fried, and boiled. Roasted tiger nuts are used as a healthy substitute for coffee, especially in Hungary. In addition, gluten-free flour and valuable oil are obtained from the nodules. Tigernut flour is characterized by the fact that it can be used by people with celiac disease and wheat intolerance as well as by people with nut allergies.
Recently, more and more star and amateur chefs seem to be interested in tiger nuts and their culinary uses – probably also because tiger nuts not only taste delicious but also have many health benefits to offer due to their special nutrient profile.
Tigernuts – The Nutrients
The underground nodules serve as a nutrient store for the tiger nut plant. We humans can also benefit from this when we eat tiger nuts. 100 grams of tiger nuts hide around:
- 25 g fat: The composition of the valuable tiger nut oil is similar to that of olive oil, so it provides in particular monounsaturated fatty acids.
- 62 g carbohydrates (of which around 33 g fiber)
- 8 g protein: tiger nuts provide interesting amounts of protein. However, the amino acid profile is not balanced, which does not matter, since one does not only live from the tiger nut, but mixes it with other foods, which can then supplement the missing amino acids (e.g. tryptophan).
A distinction is made between black, brown, and yellow tiger nuts, which have some differences in terms of nutrient content. The yellow tiger nuts are preferred to the others because they are larger and more attractive in color. They also contain more dietary fiber and secondary plant substances with an antioxidant effect (e.g. flavonoids) and less fat.
2 tablespoons of tiger nuts per day are enough to enjoy the healing power!
Dietary fiber offers many health benefits
The dietary fiber content of tiger nuts is even higher than that of other foods known for this, e.g. B. Chia seeds. The roughage binds water in the large intestine, swells up, and thus increases the volume of the chyme.
In this way, digestion is stimulated and the intestinal transit is accelerated. With the help of tiger nuts, constipation can often be eliminated in a very short time without any side effects. In addition, tiger nuts increase the feeling of satiety and counteract cravings. In this sense, the nodules can help you lose weight.
Fiber is also involved in detoxification as it binds to metabolic toxins or other toxic residues and promotes their elimination. In addition, fats and bile acids are bound and removed in the intestine. Since the liver then produces new bile acids and uses cholesterol to do this, the cholesterol level in the blood is lowered thanks to the fibre.
In addition, eating tiger nuts has a positive effect on the pancreas. Fiber slows glucose from food into the bloodstream, preventing spikes in blood sugar with high insulin levels.
Anyone who increases the dietary fiber content of their food – e.g. B. with the help of tiger nuts – should give his body some time to adapt to the change. Also, make sure you drink enough, as fiber binds fluid to itself.
Butyric acid protects against intestinal diseases
Due to their digestive effect, tiger nuts can also protect us from diseases of the intestine. The dietary fibers it contains are an excellent source of food for the “good” intestinal bacteria. In this way, dietary fibers have a positive effect on intestinal flora.
This happens, for example, when the beneficial intestinal residents ferment the dietary fibers into butyric acid (butanoic acid). Studies have shown that butyric acid shifts the pH into the acidic range, making the environment unfavorable for salmonella and other pathogens.
In a study published in 2013, Japanese researchers also demonstrated that butyric acid keeps the immune system on its toes and consequently prevents inflammatory and allergic reactions. Patients with chronic inflammatory bowel diseases can benefit from tiger nuts in particular, as they often lack butyric acid-producing bacteria in their intestines.
But even in patients with benign intestinal ulcers and colon cancer, the proportion of butyric acid detected is greatly reduced, as various studies have shown. However, if butyric acid levels are increased through a high-fiber diet, the growth of cancer cells can be prevented or at least inhibited.
Tigernuts contain many vital substances
The tiger nut is particularly rich in minerals, which also have a positive effect on health. However, you will not eat much more than 10 – 20 g of tiger nuts a day, so that the richness of minerals in tiger nuts is put into perspective again.
For orientation, the mineral content per 100 g is shown below. The percentage given in brackets refers to the fulfillment of the recommended daily allowance (RDA).
- 700 mg of potassium (30 percent of the RDA): This is important for nerves, blood pressure regulation, heart, and muscle function.
- 60 mg Magnesium (35 percent of the RDA): Essential for energy metabolism, nerve-to-muscle transmission, and muscle contraction, and the function of hundreds of enzymes in the body.
- 150 mg calcium (20 percent of the RDA): This is important for bone metabolism, the heart, kidneys, and lungs.
- 120 mg phosphorus (20 percent of the RDA): Together with calcium, it ensures the strength of bones and teeth and plays an important role in energy production.
A spoonful (12 g) of tiger nut oil contains around 1.5 mg of vitamin E (100 g contains 13 mg of vitamin E) – more than olive oil. Vitamin E is one of the antioxidants and is therefore an important free radical scavenger. Thanks to its cell-protecting function, vitamin E can slow down the aging process and prevent cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Tigernuts also contain secondary plant substances such as e.g. B. rutin. This flavonoid also protects against free radicals and acts z. B. vein diseases and circulatory disorders.
The fatty acids in the tiger nut
The tiger nut is one of those rare plants whose root nodules contain fats. The average fatty acid composition of tiger nut oil is as follows:
- 62 percent monounsaturated fatty acids
- 18 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids
- 20 percent saturated fat
Monounsaturated fatty acids are considered particularly healthy because they can improve the balance of cholesterol levels. While “good” HDL cholesterol increases or remains constant, “bad” LDL cholesterol is reduced.
The polyunsaturated fatty acids in tiger nuts include omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. alpha-linolenic acid), which have an anti-inflammatory effect and reduce the risk of high blood pressure and coronary heart disease, and omega-6 fatty acids (e.g. linoleic acid), counteract the lipid metabolism disorders.
For a long time, saturated fatty acids were fundamentally classified as unhealthy. However, new research results increasingly suggest that saturated fatty acids in their natural form, e.g. B. can strengthen the immune system and act against bacteria and viruses.
Tigernut oil is also rich in phytosterols, which are already being used therapeutically to lower cholesterol and treat benign prostate enlargement. Since phytosterols also stabilize the skin’s barrier function, tiger nut oil is used externally, e.g. B. applied to skin irritation.
Tigernuts – power food for the brain
Tigernuts are still considered a stepchild of research, which is why there are comparatively few studies in this regard. Nevertheless, it has been proven that tiger nuts have a positive effect on digestion and can prevent or alleviate gastrointestinal problems.
In addition, according to Dr. Bixquert Miguel, Chief of Gastroenterology at l’Hospital Universitari Arnau de Vilanova, many other health benefits, e.g. B. in relation to the brain.
Tigernuts can therefore be recommended, for example, to promote concentration, but also to relieve headaches and prevent dizziness.
The consumption of tiger nuts is therefore equally ideal for students and working people as well as athletes, in order to master every day full of strength and nerves of steel.
Tigernuts – The healing properties at a glance
Researchers from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Nigeria attributed the following properties to the tiger nut as part of their study:
- aphrodisiac
- Flatulent
- Diuretic
- bleeding promoter
- Stimulating
- strengthening
The scientists stated that tiger nuts can sometimes be helpful for flatulence, stomach upset, diarrhea, dysentery, and excessive thirst. Tigernuts are also said to activate blood circulation, counteract thrombosis and heart disease, and also serve well in the prevention and treatment of cystitis.
Last but not least, eating delicious nodules can make a wonderful contribution to reducing the risk of colon cancer.
Tigernut milk: vegan and healthy – even with diabetes
Tigernut milk has its origins in the town of Alboraya in Valencia and is called “Orxata de Xufes” in Valencian (a variety of the Catalan language). Today it is one of the most popular soft drinks throughout Spain and is always freshly prepared and served ice-cold in the so-called “horchaterías” (milk bars), as it spoils quite quickly.
To produce tiger nut milk, the tubers are washed, ground, soaked, and then pressed in several passes. The extract obtained in this way is then mixed with sugar and water, which gives it a milky consistency.
Tigernut milk is an ideal substitute for cow’s milk, so people with lactose intolerance and milk intolerance can also benefit from it. In addition, tiger nut milk is ideal for diabetics, despite its natural sweetness.
This is because tiger nut milk contains carbohydrates based on sucrose and starch (without glucose) and high levels of L-arginine. This is an amino acid that has been shown to stimulate the production of insulin and significantly reduce insulin resistance.
In addition, L-arginine has a vasodilating effect, can drastically reduce high blood pressure, and reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis.
Tigernut milk – the recipe
Unlike in the Spanish region around Valencia, not every café in central and northern Europe has a refreshing horchata. This is probably a good thing since the drink has a sugar content that is far too high from a health point of view, not because the tiger nut is so rich in sugar, but because so much sugar is added to the drink. However, it is quite easy to prepare a healthy horchata without sugar. It is important that you soak the tiger nuts in water for about a day before preparing the tiger nut milk.
Ingredients:
- 100 g soaked tiger nuts
- 400ml of water
- 6 pitted dates
- juice of ½ a lemon
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Preparation:
- Mix the soaked tiger nuts well with 100 grams of very cold water.
- Strain the tiger nut mass through a nut milk bag or a fine-mesh cloth (e.g. tea towel). An unsweetened tigernut milk is produced, while the tigernut pomace remains.
- Now squeeze the pomace well with your hands, dry it or use it e.g. B. to make tigernut balls or tigernut biscuits or add it to your daily muesli.
- Put the tiger nut milk back into the blender and add the remaining water, the dates, the cinnamon, and the juice of half a lemon.
- After you have mixed the tiger nut milk well again, you should refrigerate it. If you like, you can – as usual with the original – add a few ice cubes to the glass before serving.
Tip: You can be creative and add the tiger nut milk e.g. B. combine with bananas or berries and make all kinds of shakes. All sorts of vegetable protein powders also go very well with tigernut milk. In this way, the not quite as complete amino acid profile of the tiger nut can be whipped into shape in no time.
This tiger nut milk can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 day.
Tigernuts – purchase, and storage
In our region, tiger nuts are usually offered in organic shops or in health food stores. In addition to whole tiger nuts, tigernut flour, tigernut flakes, tigernut chips, tigernut oil, and other tigernut products such as B. tiger nuts are in the trade.
Tigernuts are not cheap due to the time-consuming harvest and the limited distribution, but it pays off to rely on organic goods. So you can be sure that the nodules have grown free of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.
For preservation, the manufacturers dry the tiger nuts in special chambers and can then store them for up to two years. So that the tiger nuts retain their health-promoting properties during storage, they should be kept dry, cool, and dark. Tigernuts are usually packed in a protective plastic film, which should be removed after purchase.
Tigernut oil should be stored in dark bottles in a cool place away from direct sunlight. Keep in mind that vitamin E is sensitive to light, oxygen, and repeated heating.
Tigernuts in a flower pot
Of course, food always tastes best when you grow it yourself. This can also be done with tiger nuts. Since tiger nuts are among the neophytes that reproduce like weeds, cultivation in flower pots is an advantage. It takes three to five months from sowing the nodules to maturity.
The sowing of the tiger nuts takes place in spring at temperatures above 10 degrees. A location that is as sunny as possible is preferred. The hardy plant loves loose and humus-rich soil and forms decorative clumps of ornamental grass that are about 30 to 60 cm high. In late summer or autumn, after flowering, the coveted tiger nuts form on the roots.
Harvested after the first frost. To do this, pull the whole ball out of the pot and shake the soil off the tubers. If you want to use the tiger nuts fresh, they are only washed off shortly before consumption.
Freshly harvested tiger nuts are quite soft compared to dried ones. They can be eaten with the shell without being soaked. For longer storage, you have to dry them.
Tigernuts are all-rounders in the kitchen
Depending on the degree of ripeness and drying, tiger nuts have a delicately sweet-tart aroma. Since there are many ways to use this healthy food, there are hardly any limits to your imagination.
Dried tiger nuts can be eaten raw, but you need very good teeth as they are quite hard. Peeled tiger nuts are now commercially available, which are easier to chew but contain less fiber. It is best, however, to harvest the whole tiger nuts before further use or before consumption – e.g. B. also as a lightly salted snack – soak in water for at least 4 hours and a maximum of 1 day.
The naturally sweet tigernut flakes provide a lot of energy and give the muesli a special kick. You can use the flakes directly from the bag or roast them and stir them into drinks or use them to refine soups or sauces. Other dishes are also possible with tiger nuts: Whether a hearty tigernut vegetable stew, a colorful salad, or a delicious tigernut pesto – you will be amazed at how varied the dumplings are.
For people with nut allergies and wheat intolerance, both tiger nut flakes and tiger nut flour are welcome substitutes for nuts and grains in baked goods such as cakes or bread. Tigernut flour and tigernut milk are also fantastic for creating delicious ice cream. And whenever a recipe contains cow’s milk, you can use tiger nut milk instead.
Since tiger nuts do not contain gluten, the flour must be mixed with other flour or binders like any other gluten-free flour in order to achieve better baking properties. For example, the tigernut flour can be mixed with buckwheat or amaranth flour and small amounts of locust bean gum (½ to 1 teaspoon per cup of the flour mixture).
The golden-yellow tigernut oil is also versatile and can be used raw, but also for cooking and deep-frying. It is in perfect harmony with any type of salad.
