Tiger nuts before and after soaking
As a youngster I enjoyed nibbling on tiger nuts. I remember
them being a bit of a treat with a taste resembling almonds and coconuts and a
look of a tiny wizened potato the size of a peanut. It appears they are now
included in the ever increasing list of superfoods. But their story way goes
back to a time before marketing.
Tiger Nuts
Also known as chufa (Cyperus esculentus), is one of the very
small number of edible sedges which made up about 80% of our Palaeolithic-period
ancestors diet around two million years ago
( A Palio diet is a thing today too which entails eating lots of
fruit/vegetables and grass fed meat ).
Not Nuts
Tiger nuts are not actually nuts; they are underground
tubers formed by grass from the sedge family. The Egyptians appreciated their
sedges. One of them is papyrus, from which they made the world’s first paper
and tiger nuts have been found in Egyptian tombs from around 6,000 years ago.
Food Supplement
More recently tiger nuts were a mainstay in the war and offered
a slightly sweet treat something a little different for the palette other than
dried eggs. They were popular up to the
1950’s era of post war rationing and were even seen as a treat for children, and
could be bought at the sweet shop up until the early 70’s. But Like many ‘war
foods’ that were associated with the ‘Hunger Winter’ that followed and leaner,
harder times, they fell out of fashion. Until now.
They are an ideal snack for people as they are allergy-friendly(not
nuts) ,gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, suitable for vegans,
vegetarians and a host of other groups. Livestock enjoy the top growth as well.
I used to eat them raw with the skins on but you can buy
pre-skinned ones and there’s also a flour option. The favoured way to eat the
tuber, grown predominantly in Spain is to soak them overnight to soften them
up. I might need to do that now as my teeth aren’t what they used to be.
New Plants
I’ve decided that Tiger nuts are to be my “New Plant of the
Year” to grow. I have received a kilo of grade A tubers through the post this
week, you can get lower grades but they are generally used for bait in fishing
and can contain maggot damage.
The grass can be a pest is actually a really invasive weed
in some countries so I’m going to grow mine in containers for now. One plant
can produce hundreds if not thousands of small tubers but probably ne here as
our growing season is a lot shorter than Spain. I think the variety I have
should be killed off by frost so I don’t think it’ll take over the garden. I’ll
chop the young seed heads off before they mature as well to limit any spread.
Growing Tiger Nuts
Tigernuts (Chufa tubers) have a notoriously poor germination
rate so I’m sowing mine under cover in a propagator with bottom heat until they
germinate and I can then transplant them into large tubs of quality organic
compost in the tunnel giving them space to grow.
I’ll keep them fed and watered using a seaweed feed with
rainwater before moving the pots outside
as the plants develop and the weather warms.
It’ll be a labour of love as the will need looking after
until the first frosts later in the year. That’s the right time to harvest the ‘nut’
bounty.
When the tops die off, the tubers can be unearthed from the
roots under the plant. They can be cleaned and eaten raw or added to daily
meals, smoothies, salads or just as a snack.
Drink
There’s a traditional drink we can make too which entails
first hydrating one cup of tiger nuts by soaking them in water for 24 hours. Then
bland the hydrated tiger nuts into a paste, adding water as needed before
straining the tiger nut liquid thoroughly through a sieve. Add four cups of hot
water and blend until desired consistency is achieved. This can be sweetened to
taste. I prefer just to chew on mine and if you can’t be bothered clearing up
after all of that, Sainsburys’ sell Tigernut milk.
Healthy option
Chufa tubers are very nutritious, with twice the starch
content of potatoes and plenty of vitamins and minerals. Full of fibre and rich
in Vitamin C, Iron, Zinc, Copper, Potassium and Magnesium have things to help
the digestive system. They are also rich in vitamin E and contain a hard to
digest starch so you feel fuller for longer.
They also store very easily: once dried they keep indefinitely.
