Chufa is very popular in Spain’s Valencia region. In recent years, chufa, or tiger nuts, have gained the status of “superfood” in large parts of the world, but here in Spain it is a nutritious traditional food with roots all the way back to Ancient Egypt. FindYourSpain have tested chufa. If you want to try a little “tiger on the tank”, we will give you a recipe as well.
Chufa is the root fruit / tuber of a plant with the Latin name Cyperus esculentus. In English it is often called tiger nut (some also call it almond).
In Spain, the tiger nut is most often used to make the milk-like drink horchata – an excellent thirst-quencher, which is also extremely nutritious. The taste is a bit nutty and sweet. If you are looking for an alternative to milk that does not contain lactose or gluten, horchata may be the thing for you.
Horchata is traditionally enjoyed as a fresh product that is best consumed immediately after preparation and preferably at the place where it is made. But chufa is also sold as a bottle concentrate that you mix with water. We mixed one concentrate with four parts water and got a sweet, milk-like drink.
As mentioned, you can buy dried tiger nuts in markets, it is also available in many supermarkets. Chufa is sold both with and without its shell. To make a horchata-like drink at home, soak the tiger nuts in water and run them in a blender or food processor (see our recipe at the end of the article). The texture of tiger nuts is reminiscent of fresh coconut. As a basis in different types of smoothies, we think the horchata does very well.
From Egypt to Spain
We first hear of Chufa in ancient Egypt where it is said that the pharaohs greatly appreciated the taste of tiger nuts. It is believed that the Egyptians cultivated chufa already in the sixth millennium BC. Remains of tiger nuts have been found in sarcophagi from that far back in history. In the time of the pharaohs, they ate the tiger nuts either boiled in beer or as sweets with honey. Chufa was also used in a medicinal cream (with a somewhat unknown purpose today). In addition, chufa was burned as a kind of air purifier in the home and to remove odors in clothes.
From ancient Egypt, the chufa traveled through North Africa. The Moor invasion forces brought the tiger nut to the Iberian Peninsula in the early 700s AD. The soil in southern Spain has proven to be extremely beneficial for growing the plant. Since alcohol consumption is forbidden in Islam, Muslims in Spain did not consume tiger nuts cooked in beer like the ancient Egyptians. Instead, they developed a milk-like drink that became the forerunner of today’s Horchata Valenciana.
Today, Alboraya, outside Valencia, is a center for both the cultivation of chufa and the production of horchata. New products, processes and flavors have also been developed there. Today you can buy cookies and ice cream with chufa, chufa alioli (for those who have not discovered alioli, it is a garlic mayonnaise native to the Valencia region), chufa chocolate and even a chufa beer called Antara.
Modern superfoods
Chufa is often referred to as a “superfood”. It is said to be good for health and well-being in several ways. Tiger nuts are nutritious: they are said to contain three times more potassium than bananas, and are rich in magnesium and dietary fiber. They have as much iron as red meat. Chufa should also help with metabolism, be good for cardiovascular health, contain significant amounts of antioxidants (including vitamin E), stimulate the immune system and have an antacid effect. As chufa does not contain lactose or gluten, it is a good alternative for people with food intolerance or allergies. We have so far not tried chufa in pastries, but finely ground tiger nut, so-called chufa flour, should be able to replace wheat flour in recipes.
The tiger nut is also supposed to be good for the cholesterol balance, and it has a high content of healthy, unsaturated fatty acids – in fact in line with olive oil. And just for saying that: Chufa are not nuts, so people with nut allergies have nothing to fear here. And, as far as we know, the tiger nut has no other connection to tigers than a faint striped pattern on the brown shell.
You will find tiger nuts at several of the local markets on the Costa Blanca. The concentrate, which is sold in bottles, can be found more easily in health food stores, and chufa beer is available at selected bars and restaurants in the region.
Want to make your own horchata?
Horchata makes an excellent base for a healthy and tasty smoothie with fruits and berries (and maybe some nuts). The process is possibly a bit cumbersome for some, but it’s fun and not at all difficult to make your own “super drink”.
Horchata Recipe
Cover a cup of dried tiger nuts with water (a couple of cups of water or a little more for a cup of chufa) and let them soak for 24 hours at room temperature. The quality of the tiger nuts is important, they should not be too old (see date marking or purchase from a market stall you know has fresh goods). Old tiger nuts, like beans, are difficult to get completely soft.
In a blender or food processor, combine tiger nuts, the water they were soaked in and four cups of boiling water. Puree for a couple of minutes until smooth. Add more water if needed to achieve a fine-grained consistency. Strain the tiger nut puree through a fine-meshed sieve or cloth-lined colander using a wooden spoon or spatula to squeeze out as much chufa milk as possible. Discard or compost the tiger nut solids.
Season the horchata milk with a little cinnamon and salt and stir until the salt is dissolved. Try it out, but start with ¼ ts cinnamon and the corresponding amount of salt. If you do not think the drink is sweet enough, you can add sugar, honey or syrup (maple syrup and agave are good alternatives.)
Anne B., Find Your Spain!
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