Tiger Nuts (raw, nut-free, seed-free)

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Tiger Nuts are – NOT NUTS, they are Tubers!  They’re small vegetable tubers that grow in the ground just like carrots and potatoes.

They are Gluten Free,  NUT FREE, Allergen Free, Dairy Free, Raw, High in Fiber, Low in Calories & Fats, High in Nutrition, No- GMO, Raw, and Paleo Perfect. Talk about a lot of highs and lows. :)

Low carb friendly…

They are one of the top sources of resistant starch, a prebiotic fiber that resists digestion and becomes fuel for our probiotic bacteria.   They are remarkably nutrient-dense as well, providing as much iron like red meat, as much potassium, like coconut water, as well as being high in magnesium, zinc, phosphorus.

Phosphorus is the second most plentiful mineral in your body, calcium being first. Your body needs phosphorus for many tasks, such as filtering waste and repairing your tissues and cells.

But let’s get back to the digesting part…

As a resistant starch, it passes through the stomach and small intestine undigested, then it lands in the colon, where it feeds the friendly bacteria in the gut.  Once it nestles down in the colon, it transforms into short-chain fatty acids (1), one of them being butyrate! Oh, I can tell you are on the edge of your seat. :)

If you are a nutritional geek (spoken with respect), click on this (link) to get the low down on butyrate, fascinating stuff. In a nutshell, butyrate is the preferred fuel of the cells that line the colon (1), and it helps reduce the pH level in the colon which can potently reduce inflammation.  Oh trust me, there are other amazing benefits of resistant starch such as improving insulin sensitivity, lowering blood sugar levels, reducing appetite and other various benefits for digestion.  What I am sharing here is just enough to wet your whistle. :)

What to expect when you pop a Tiger Nut in your mouth…

Tiger nuts have an interesting taste..  sort of like chestnuts with a very chewy texture.   I was surprised as to how sweet they are. So far, I have tested two versions of the Tiger Nuts, the Premium Organic Tiger Nuts and Supreme Peeled Tiger Nuts. The difference nutritionally is fiber.  Premium Organic has 33% fiber, and the Supreme Peeled has 23% fiber, otherwise, they have the same nutritional values.  Visually their coloring differs, the Premium Organic is a darker brown and has a thin skin (not shell) on them.  They are still edible with the skin on.  The Supreme Peeled is a pale blonde color since the skin has been removed.  Both are raw (I emailed the company to make sure).

I contacted the company and asked them if the Supreme Peeled Tiger nuts were organic (front of the bag doesn’t read organic) and he responded, “Supreme Peeled Tiger Nuts are the very same organically grown Premium Organic Tiger Nuts. They have been processed using a patented all-natural process to remove the outer skin, which makes them a lot easier to chew right out of the bag.”

Do they require soaking?

According to the label, you can enjoy them straight out of the bag, but they can also be soaked in water to “soften” and enhance flavor.  They really don’t soften much at all; in fact, they go from hard chewy to almost crunchy.  Odd, but true. I made Tiger Nut Milk with the tubers that had the skin on them, and after soaking for 36 hours, they were still chewy, so don’t expect them to soften all that much.

Actually, they even seemed to be a bit cruncher after soaking. The level of anti-nutrients such as tannins, alkaloids, and polyphenols, is drastically reduced by soaking in water for 6 hours.  I also emailed the company asking if they suggested soaking both the peeled and not peeled tiger nuts.  He responded, “We only suggest that if people find the Premium Organic Tiger Nuts a little too tough to chew right out of the bag, that they consider soaking them  (just like almonds) for 36 hours for a crunchy, easier chew.”

How to enjoy them…

You can make Tiger Nut milk which is a wonderful alternative to dairy milk, nut milk, seed milk or coconut milk.  You can pop them in the food processor and grind them down to a crumbly texture, much like you do with nuts and seeds. Basically, you can use them just like you would any nut.

Where can I purchase them?

• Tiger Nut Supreme (peeled)
• Tiger Nut Premium (have thin membrane on them)

Sept. 8th, 2015 Update

I got permission from Jim at the main headquarters of Tiger Nuts to share an email that was sent to me regarding if they are raw or not.  The following reads:

Hi Amie Sue,

“As requested through our New York office, hopefully, the following explanations will answer your questions. Our Tiger Nuts are raw; they are not heat-treated and not going through processes that imply heat. We dry the Tiger Nuts most of the time naturally or in a dedicated drying equipment below 38ºC. This is also valid for Tiger Nuts Flour. Our company uses a unique process of producing Tiger Nuts Flour and mill the Tiger Nuts below 45ºC , then immediately pack the product in vacuum packaging.

Tiger Nuts Oil is a high-quality oil extracted by a cold, virgin process in order to ensure that it retains all the unique nutritious qualities of the Tiger Nut itself. When making Tiger Nuts milk, the remaining material on the bottom of the container is starch, known as resistant starch. This is absolutely normal and also healthy, it can be found in fresh horchata and some horchata produced in Spain as well.  Just mix it all well before drinking.

I hope you find the information helpful.”

Best regards.  Jim

UK Office, Jim McNulty  –  Partner

Suite 11, 41 Couching Street, Watlington, Oxfordshire, OX49 5PX

Sept. 10th, 2015 Update

I found another company that sells organic, raw tiger nuts.  I followed up with them, checking to make sure that their products are indeed raw.  I got full permission to share the email that they sent back to me: P.S. I had also asked if they were alkaline.

“Hi Amie,