I've got a pantry full of gluten-free flours. Chickpea, coconut, almond, blends, etc. Which is actually kind of silly because I very rarely bake. When I do, I use GF oats for almost everything. BUT - I was pretty excited when I learned about tigernut flour. Tigernuts. Have you heard of them? It's likely that this is the first time you've heard about them, as they're not very well-known in the US, but our ancestors were practically made of tigernuts! Seriously. It is believe that tigernuts were the MAIN source of food for our Northern Africa/Mediterranean Paleo ancestors around 2 million years ago. Tigernuts made up around 80% of their diet, which was only additionally supplemented with some fruit, and invertebrates like grasshoppers and worms, according to this Oxford study. They're versatile and popular in many different types of recipes, and are well integrated into the culture and cuisines of Northwestern Africa and the Mediterranean regions. However, they are available around the world, and their known health benefits are pushing them into the food/wellness conversation (like, right now)! From being buried in ancient Egpytian pharaoh tombs and painted in the hieroglyphics, to traveling to Spain 500 years ago, to present-day attention as a "superfood" and alternative to gluten and nuts - the tigernut carries quite a bit of history yet still finds itself relevant and gaining popularity across the world today! |