Well here's a shocker, Tiger Nuts are actually NOT nuts, they are a tuber that grows below the ground's surface. They have all of the nutrients and energy benefits of nuts and then some, but without the stuff that can adversely affect allergies.
In fact our "Original Tiger Nuts" have so much good stuff in them that you might say it's “unbelievable”, but it's a fact! They are packed with fiber, vitamins and nutrients and deliver a serious wallop of energy. They are perfect for health minded people just like you.
And because they have so much fiber, they make you feel full, which of course helps curb your appetite.
Tiger nuts are very healthy, they can help to prevent heart attacks, thrombosis and activate blood circulation. Due to the high contents of soluble glucose they can also help prevent cancer and lately some investigators discovered that they can help reduce the risk of suffering colon cancer. The very high fiber content combined with a delicious taste, make them ideal for healthy eating.
10 REASONS WHY TIGERNUTS ARE A SUPERFOOD:
1. Tigernuts’ high content in fiber keeps your whole body healthy
2. Tigernut milk (also known as Horchata de Chufas) is a great substitute for cow’s milk
3. Tigernuts are a solid source of magnesium
4. Tigernuts can help control your blood pressure
5. Tigernuts may help protect you from cancer and cardiovascular disease
6. Tigernuts give you a potassium boost
7. Tigernuts are a good non-meat source of protein
8. Tigernut milk can help control diabetes
9. Tigernut rivals olive oil for “heart healthy” oils
10. Tiger nuts Can Help Fight Malnutrition in Under-developed Nations
Other names for Tiger Nuts
Aki Awusa in Igbo
Aya in Hausa
Isip Isong in Efik/Ibibio
Ofio in Yoruba
Hausa Groundnut in Pidgin
Keegun in Okun
Chufas in Spanish
How to make Kunun Aya (Tiger Nuts Milk)
Ingredients for making Tiger Nuts Milk
600g soaked Tiger Nuts (475g dry Tiger Nuts)
1.5 litres cold water
Other ingredients you can add to it
Coconut
Sugar
Ginger
Cinnamon
To blend it, you'll need a kitchen blender to blend the soaked nuts.
To strain it you'll need a chiffon cloth or ladies stocking/tights (pantyhose without the panty).
1. Soak the very dry nuts in a generous quantity of cold water for 2 days. Keep it in the fridge for the duration of the soaking so that the nuts do not ferment. Most tiger nuts sold in Nigeria are fresh and well hydrated so you'll only need to soak those ones for a few hours or overnight.
2. After the soaking, wash the nuts very well and sort out the bad ones.
3.Put them in your kitchen blender and pour just enough water to help the blades move. We need to make this milk as concentrated and tasty as possible, you can add more water later if you wish.
4. At this time you can add other ingredients: coconut, sugar, ginger and other flavours of your choice and blend them together. I prefer anything I eat/drink as natural as possible so I do not add any other ingredient to this drink. The natural taste of Tiger Nut Milk is so great, you do not want to alter it at all.
5.After blending, use a chiffon cloth or ladies stocking (pantyhose) to separate the chaff from the drink. Of course, the pantyhose should be brand new, thoroughly washed with dish washing liquid.
6.Press the stocking to make sure you squeeze out all the milk from the chaff.
7. Put the dry chaff back in the blender, add more water and blend again. Then strain with the chiffon cloth.
8.Repeat the process till all the milk has been extracted. I found that the milk I got the third time was too watery. So 2 times should be enough and keep an eye on the quantity of water. As a guide, I got 1.5 litres of tiger nut milk from 600g of soaked tiger nuts. Yours may vary.
9. Pour the extracted milk into bottles and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. It should last longer in the freezer. In my home, this milk usually disappears within 2 days of making it, so I can't tell you how long it can stay in the freezer without losing its taste! lol
Serve Tiger Nuts Milk with any snack of your choice.
Where to buy Tiger Nuts
There are 2 varieties of tiger nuts: brown and black. Both are readily available in Nigeria
but I think the brown ones are more common outside Nigeria. Both taste the same to me.In Nigeria, Tiger Nuts are sold by Hausa Mallams on the streets and in all major markets in Nigeria. In Spain, look for them in any Frutos Secos shop i.e. shops that sell dry fruits. Ask for chufas.
In the UK you can buy them on Amazon UK website. In the US, it is sold by La Tienda. The vendor for tiger nuts on Amazon US website is La Tienda.
Sources:
allnigerianrecipes
TigernutsUsa
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