Atadwe (tiger nuts): The Next Superfood?

  

But in this spirit of chasing down and sensationalizing ancient and/or exotic superfoods, the next big thing yet unknown to America could possibly be tiger nuts (Hausa groundnut; earth almond; Twi: atadwe; Spanish: chufa; botanical: Cyperus esculentus). The “media” though is not aware as this is what is being touted as the hip foods for 2014. Tsk, tsk, obviously I’m ahead of the curve.

The interesting thing about this tuber tiger nut (not actually a nut), is that variants of it grows in temperate climes including the US wild as an annoying invasive weed or cultivated for animal feed and fishing baits. 

Imagine!

For me tiger nuts are associated with my father. He always has them around. He likes them fairly dried out but I like them not as dry. In Ghana, they are chewed (and swallowed or spat) as a snack. I prefer to swallow the chaff that remains after the sweet, earthy, nutty milk has been extracted…by my teeth. Growing up I was encouraged not to eat too much. It’s best for men, you
know, to give them “power”, I would be chided over and over again.
Apparently, women can’t benefit from this same aphrodisiac property that
gives men virility? Dubious.

In Spain, apparently the world’s leading producer, it is used to make Horchata de chufa, a popular refreshing drink.  I have never had horchata so I don’t know if it tastes the same as what Ghanaians call atadwe milk which can them be used for atadwe pudding and atadwe yogurt.

Now do you see where I’m going with this? The vegetal milk can be extracted and used as a dairy-free alternative
and the remaining extract can be ground into flour for a gluten free
option A perfect Paleo and vegan food!

All the current craze over almond milk and other dairy free products could be capitalized upon for the benefit of this ancient crop, whose tubers have been found alongside Egyptian mummies and which may as well have been the original Paleo (cave man) diet.  A ground-breaking study published last week in PLOS One showed that an early (2.4 – 1.4 million years ago) human relative, Paranthropus boisei, nicknamed “Nutcracker Man”, subsisted entirely on sedges and grasses such as Cyperaceae (tiger nuts).  

I jest on. A quick look into its nutritional benefits shows that it is rich in fiber (not surprisingly), essential minerals including calcium, magnesium, and iron, several essential amino acids, and vitamins like thiamine and tocopherol. And if you were to extract oil from it in large amounts, chufa oil‘s percentage composition in fatty acids is highly favourable, similar to olive oil, so could be part of a lipid-lowering diet or even better, another go to oil in the armamentarium of natural hair and skin product purists. Move aside Moroccan argan oil?

Add to this its proposed medicinal properties – anti-inflammatory, anti-flatulence, anti-dyspepsia, anti-halitosis, immunostimulatory, antioxidant – what else could one desire from a single foodstuff.  It IS a super food!

So to recap. Tiger nuts are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber. It is cholesterol-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free. It is the original Paleo diet, vegan friendly, and currently organic and non-GMO. It can be your prebiotic, your aphrodisiac, your digestive, your cholesterol lowering diet supplement, your energy-booster, your hair conditioner, and your skin moisturizer. And wait, there’s more. They are delicious! 

Come on, you decide, superfood or what? Seems to me a business venture unrealized.

Disclaimer: I personally make no medical claims on the benefits of tiger nuts. I just love to chew them.