ALL ABOUT TIGERNUTS (& your new favorite GF flour)

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!

Image from Tigernuts.com

​So, what are tigernuts?

Tigernuts are NOT...

• from a tiger
• nuts - PERFECTLY safe for nut allergy peeps!

Tigernuts ARE...

• a tuber (a root - don't worry I had to Google the difference between a root and a tuber too) aka the marble-sized root to yellow nutsedge, also known as chufa or nut grass (or Cyperus esculentus if you prefer scientific names)
• semi-sweet in flavor with a "nutty" taste
• somewhere (nutritionally) between a tuber and a nut (i.e. less protein than a nut, more protein than other tubers; more starch than a typical nut, less starch than other tubers)
• considered a weed or pest in almost every country, including it's native African countries (but lovingly cultivated in Spain)
• high in antioxidants, fiber, and beneficial for gut health, cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, heart health

How are tigernuts used?

• can be eaten fresh or cooked
• dried and ground to a flour - a great gluten-free alternative for baking cookies, bars, pancakes, etc. 
• blended with water into a milk (known as Horchata de Chufa in Spain and Kunnu Aya in Nigeria) which is a sweet and popular drink
• dried for a snack - sweet, almost like dried fruit (they are hard after harvesting, but can be soaked in water for 4 hours until they are rehydrated and become soft and tasty again)
• ground into a paste for flavoring ice creams and other desserts
• cold-pressed into oil
• fisherman use tigernuts as bait in the U.K. (where they gained popularity during WWII as a snack when candy was rationed)
• tigernuts have been proposed as a source of bio-fuel
• hog food

Image from Tigernuts.com

 
​What are the health benefits of tigernuts?

• high in fiber (about 30%!) - an important and misunderstood requirement for strong digestive health, also prevents heart disease and diabetes
• a source of resistant starch - which feeds a healthy microbiome, supports optimal body weight, enhance insulin sensitivity, helps regulate blood sugar
• anti-oxidant rich - prevents free radicals, otherwise known as oxidative damage, protects from disease, slows aging
• a great source of magnesium, which helps to reduce tension, stress, and promote heart health
• rich in potassium - which helps blood flow to the brain, preventing stroke and clots, and promoting healthy cognitive function
• antibacterial properties - immune boosting​, ability to fight bacteria in the human body
• prebiotic fiber (resistant starch) - promotes growth of beneficial gut bacteria, healthy digestive system 
• lowers levels of LDL (aka "bad" cholesterol)
• rich in calcium, iron, phosphorous, vitamins C and E, oleic acid, 
• low in calories and fat​

Image from DrAxe.com

​Where can I buy them?

Where can you get anything these days? Amazon, Thrive Market, Vitacost...

• Raw organic tigernuts 
• Tigernut flour
• Tigernut granola

Also: Whole Foods, health and specialty stores, etc.

Now what?

Step 1: Purchase tigernut flour
Step 2: Make these cookies
Step 3: Let me know how much you love using your newest ingredient!

Photos by Amber Clair | www.amberclair.com