Food24
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Drinks
    • Non-alcoholic drinks
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails
    • Coffee
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Cooking guides and tips
    • Baking tips and tricks
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Eat for good
    • Win
No Result
View All Result
Food24
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Drinks
    • Non-alcoholic drinks
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails
    • Coffee
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Cooking guides and tips
    • Baking tips and tricks
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Eat for good
    • Win
No Result
View All Result
Food24
No Result
View All Result

What’s the deal with tiger nuts?

Tiger nuts are the latest superfood craze with plenty of health benefits. 

by
July 30, 2021
in Cooking Guides and Tips, Features, Food News
0
What’s the deal with tiger nuts?
1
SHARES
2.2k
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterPinterestWhatsapp

Tiger nuts have been around for centuries, with origins dating back to Neolithic Egypt where they were used as food and medicine. The Spanish have been using tiger nuts to make their traditional creamy beverage, horchata, since the 18th century. Tiger nuts are also found in Ghana and Nigeria. They are popular again in many other parts of the world as well due to their many health benefits and as more people gravitate towards plant-based foods. 

Despite their name, tiger nuts are not actually nuts. They are tubers like potatoes and yams, only smaller (the size of a chickpea) and edible. They have a chewy texture and get their name from the wrinkly stripes on their skin. Also known as chufa, earth almonds or yellow nutsedge, tiger nuts taste like coconut and almond.

The health benefits of tiger nuts

Tiger nuts contain a variety of nutrients including vitamins, carbohydrates, protein, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. However, they are especially highly praised for their rich fibre content, known for their prebiotic capacity, and help improve digestion and gut health. Experts warn that eating too many tiger nuts may result in bloating, cramping or unpleasant gas, especially for people suffering from digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 

Tiger nuts are also rich in antioxidants, which may help lower the risk of certain cancers. The amino acid arginine in them may increase insulin production, helping to keep blood sugar levels in control.   

“Additionally, tiger nuts have natural sugars. They also have monounsaturated fats, which help lower LDL or bad cholesterol levels, thereby improving heart health,” says food and consumer sciences academic with the University of Pretoria Irene Darkwa. 

“In Ghana and Nigeria, tiger nuts are popularly used as an aphrodisiac. Men use them to help boost sperm production – although this is yet to be scientifically proven,” Dirkwa says. 

horchata

How to enjoy tiger nuts

Tiger nuts can be eaten raw with the roughage swallowed or spit out. They can be roasted, boiled or soaked. 

“The food products that tiger nuts are being used to make include tiger nut milk. You can extract milk from them, add a bit of water, blend and strain it. For those who are lactose intolerant, this is a good dairy substitute. You can add cinnamon sticks to flavour it. There’s also tiger nut flour. When you extract the milk and you strain it, whatever is left can be used as animal feed or it can be dried in the oven to make flour. Oil can be extracted from tiger nut as well,” Dirkwa says.

She is currently a PhD candidate doing her research on developing cheese out of tiger nuts for Ghana, whose cheese is imported. 

South Africa imports tiger nuts and, according to Dirkwa, they have a long shelf life. “If stored in a cool place, they can last up to two years,” she says.

Tags: FeaturesFood TrendsGuideHealthy


Related Posts

5 sides to make with your curry this winter
Cooking Guides and Tips

5 sides to make with your curry this winter

August 10, 2022
The do’s and don’ts of cleaning your air-fryer
Cooking Guides and Tips

The do’s and don’ts of cleaning your air-fryer

August 8, 2022
curries-of-the-world
Features

Curries of the world – what you need to know when cooking one

July 29, 2022
Next Post
vegetarian pies

5 vegetarian pies for a meat-free occasion

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Food24 Team Loves

5 easy vegetarian soups to make this winter

5 easy vegetarian soups to make this winter

July 18, 2022
kitchen design

How to design your kitchen: 5 key considerations

July 18, 2022
This is the key to the perfect cheese sauce

This is the key to the perfect cheese sauce

July 12, 2022
pressure-cooker-lamb

Why you should pressure cook lamb

July 12, 2022
grocery store

5 new things we’ve spotted in supermarkets

June 29, 2022

Recent favourites

  • Why you should be reverse-searing your steak

    Why you should be reverse-searing your steak

    7 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 5 Monday night meal ideas using leftover cooked rice

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 5 tips for making perfectly fluffy mashed potatoes every time

    7 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • 5 favourites for the great South African braai party

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • The do’s and don’ts of cleaning your air-fryer

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Newsletter

Get weekly access to our best recipes, tips and tricks

Sign Up
Footer

Quick links

  • Home
  • News
  • Videos
  • Win

Collections

  • New Recipes
  • Festive
  • Baking
  • Dessert Recipes
  • Braai Recipes
  • Lunchbox
  • South African Recipes
  • Pasta Recipes

Other links

  • Advertise with Food24
  • Editorial Policy
  • How to Pitch
  • Contact us

Not in the mood to cook?

Visit eatout.co.za to find the perfect restaurant near you.

eatout.co.za

© 2020 Food24.com. All rights reserved.

  • About us
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • New Media
IAB
No Result
View All Result
  • Recipes
    • New recipes
    • Recipe round-ups
    • Easy weekday meals
    • Cooking with lamb
    • Delicious pork recipes
    • Braai recipes
    • Chicken recipes
    • Vegetarian recipes
    • Baking
    • Low carb recipes
    • Gluten-free recipes
    • Dairy-free recipes
    • Pasta recipes
    • South African recipes
  • News
    • Food news
  • Videos
  • Drinks
    • Non-alcoholic drinks
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails
    • Coffee
  • Newsletters
  • More
    • Cooking guides and tips
    • Baking tips and tricks
    • Food24 taste tests
    • Eat for good
    • Win

© 2019 Food24.com. All rights reserved.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Fill the forms below to register

Subscribe to Newsletter

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Close
Food24
Recipe Disclaimer

All recipe content is the responsibility of the party from whom such content originated. You agree that you use the content on Food24 at your own risk. Please read our editorial policy.
Close
Food24
Get the latest recipes delivered to your inbox weekly
Promotional Newsletter

Be the first to receive information about competitions and special offers from Food24 and it's partners.

You have successfully been subscribed!
Something went wrong. Please try again.
Make sure you have completed all required fields.
I don't want to see this again