What is a tiger nut?
tiger nut and sexuality
Tiger nut is a cheap nutritional food for both the rich and poor, greatly advised for athletes, pregnant and nursing mothers, sperm count, fertility, and libido boost in both men and women. Individuals hoping to lose or maintain their weight also benefit from it. Tiger nuts are not actually nuts. They are tubers like sweet potatoes but in a much smaller size. They got their name tiger from the stripes on their body. Tiger nut is said to have originated from Egypt thousands of years ago. From there, it has gone to other parts of the world. In Nigeria, tiger nut is grown mainly in the northern region, especially, Katsina State, and the tuber is available in the market all year round.
Tiger nut is a good source of plant-based protein, poly, and monounsaturated fats, calcium, magnesium vitamins B, C, and E.
- Fat 20-25 gram
Fatty acid omega 6 10 – 13%
Oleic acid 70 – 75%
Energy 400 – 500 Kcal.- Total carbohydrates 45 – 48 gram
Sugars 17 – 19 gram
Protein 4 – 5,5 gram
Starch 20 – 25 gram
Fibre 25 – 30 gram
moisture 5 – 7%
Tiger nuts are great when it is raw or cooked, and they are incredibly versatile: an easy snack food, they can also be ground down into flour (tiger nut flour}, or used as a base to make plant-based, nut-free milk (tiger nut milk). Tiger nuts can also be boiled, roasted, enjoyed raw, or even juiced, and they’re a great option for anyone looking for both grain- and nut-free alternatives. You can eat them raw, roasted, soaked, or boiled. You can also opt for tiger nut oil which shares a similar fatty acid profile with olive or avocado oil. Let us now explore tiger nuts’ uses in different forms and how they are made.
Tiger nut and its uses
Tiger nut flour is a starchy powder made from the plant root from the chufa sedge, tiger nut sedge. These diets seem unknown before but have grown in popularity in recent years. Tiger nut flour is becoming more popular on health food and specialty market shelves around the country. Also known as yellow nutsedge, chufa, earth almond, and nutgrass, tiger nuts come in three main varieties, brown, black, and yellow. Tiger nut is gluten-free, nut-free, grain-free, and seed-free. It can be incorporated into many diets like Paleo, Keto, diabetic, and raw food and is fundamental to the vegan diet.
Tiger nut flour is naturally sweet so it is perfect for baking. Pancakes and cookies can be made from tiger nut flour.
- How to make a tiger nut flour
Tiger nut flour can be prepared in two ways- Store-bought tiger nut flour is made from ground tiger nuts and contains more carbs. The texture is fine and denser. It’s also distinctively sweeter compared to the homemade version where most of the carbs end up in the milk. Homemade tiger nut flour is made with leftover pulp when making low-carb milk. The flour contains fewer carbs.
Tiger nut milk, also called horchata, is a popular drink that originated in Valencia, Spain, and has become popular in many other countries. It has a sweet flavor and is both nut and dairy-free, giving it lots of nutritional options. Similar to many other nut-based kinds of milk, tiger nut milk is made by soaking the tiger nuts with water and typically has sugar added to it to create a smooth and tasty beverage.
- How to make tiger nut drink
Soak the tiger nuts for six hours or overnight. The tiger nuts will swell in size slightly and this will make them easier to blend into creamy, smooth milk. Then add the soaked tiger nuts into a processor/blender. Blend the nuts down into rough pieces. Add enough water and blend again till creamy and smooth. This usually takes between 5-7 minutes. After blending the nuts with the water, pour the liquid into a bowl through a nut milk bag. Squeeze the nut milk bag to get all the milky liquid out. Then pour it into a bottle. The leftover tiger nut pulp can easily be made into flour by leaving it to dry (or dehydrating it at a very low temperature in the oven) as depicted above.
The edible and stable tiger nut oil obtained from the tiger nut is said to be a superior oil that compares favorably with olive oil. The oil is golden brown and has a rich, nutty taste. The oil remains in a uniform liquid form at refrigeration temperature. This makes the oil suitable for salad making. It has a high oleic acid and low polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid and linolenic acid), enough to cover daily minimum needs for an adult, and low acidity so is excellent for the skin. It also has higher oxidative stability than other oils, due to the presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids and gamma-tocopherol. It is regarded as high-quality oil due to its extraction without adding any external heat (cold-pressed oil) and is highly recommended for cooking over other oils because it is more resistant to chemical decomposition at high temperatures
- How to extract oil from tiger nut
First of all, soak the tiger nuts in water for about 6 hours or overnight. Submerging the nuts in water for 8 to 10 hours will soften up and dissolve the shells.
The shells will naturally come off on their own once they’re in the water so no need to actually peel them with your hands.
If you have an oil press machine, you can use one. Pour your tiger nuts into the funnel in the top of the press, then turn it on. Crank the handle to crush the nuts and extract the oil into a bottle underneath the press.
However, if you don’t have a machine, roast the nuts and extract the oil. Here, you spread your peeled tiger nuts out onto a baking tray and put them in the oven at 350 °F (177 °C) for about 20 minutes. Mash the roasted nuts into a pulp, then put them in a pot on medium heat. As the nuts heat up, the oil will naturally separate, and you can scoop it out of the pot with a spoon.
Tiger nut oil is highly regarded in the cosmetic industry and is used as an ingredient for natural lotions and hand bars and body soaps. Its high content in phytosterols makes this product a natural antioxidant, it moisturizes and nourishes the skin, and therefore It is very effective in epidermal treatments. In addition, it has healing and repairing effects, providing elasticity, revitalizing the cells, and preventing aging.
Amazing benefits of tiger nut
- May reduce blood glucose level
Tiger nuts are a relatively low-carb food. This means that they are great for people with diabetes who struggle to keep their blood sugar under control. They contain significant amounts of fiber, which slows down digestion and stabilizes blood sugar level
Tiger nuts have been shown to increase insulin sensitivity by nearly 40 percent, thus reducing your risk for type 2 diabetes. They specifically contain arginine, an amino acid that increases insulin sensitivity and production, both of which are essential in controlling blood glucose levels.
- Tiger nuts are rich in antioxidants
Antioxidants are natural compounds in plants that can prevent or slow cell damage caused by free radicals or unstable molecules in the body.
- Permanent Cure of Erectile Dysfunction, Impotency in Men, Boosts Libido and Enhance Fertility in Women.
Tiger nut may act as an aphrodisiac. Tiger nuts have been known to boost libido in men and women. They are used as aphrodisiacs in Ayurvedic medicine. It is on record that men in Nigeria have used tiger nuts for generations to treat erectile dysfunction, increase sperm count, and boost libido.
- Tiger nuts may improve our digestive health
Tiger nuts can help restore balance to your digestive system and mitigate issues like constipation, diarrhea, and indigestion. They are very rich in fiber which prevents constipation while speeding up digestion and aiding in nutrient absorption.
- They are best friends to our heart
Tiger nuts’ inclusion in your diet may help improve our cardiovascular function and prevent heart-related diseases.
Research has shown that tiger nut oil is generally high in monounsaturated fats with a profile similar to olive oil. Monounsaturated fats promote heart health by lowering bad cholesterol, thus reducing your risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart disease.
- Tiger nuts boost the immune system
Tigernuts are called perfect bio-capsules because they contain many natural nutrients. Because they are a rich source of magnesium, potassium, and many vitamins, tiger nuts may boost your immune system through their ability to fight infections, especially bacterial infections.
- Lowers risk of cancer
Studies show that tiger nuts may help prevent cancer. This is because they contain antioxidants and phenolic compounds, which suppress tumor growth. Antioxidants are substances found in foods that can help fight free radicals. Free radicals can create oxidative stress on cells, and at high levels, they can cause damage to DNA. This may increase your risk for some types of cancer.
Storage
Root vegetables tend to have a shorter shelf life than grains, which is important to keep in mind when storing tiger nut flour. You have to keep tiger nut flour in a tightly sealed container or jar in a cool, dry place and use it within a few weeks of opening the package, or store tightly sealed in the fridge to preserve for up to two months.
As per tiger nut milk, you can use citric acid or ginger to preserve it. You could use lime juice, pectinase enzymes, and sodium benzoate preservative. You could also store the milk under refrigeration temperature after proper pasteurization.
