Tiger what? Tiger nuts…..but they are not nuts….and they don’t have a thing to do with tigers.
LOL!
Who names foods anyway???
I had never heard of tiger nuts until I began cleaning up my diet and lifestyle.
I was a huge peanut butter and jelly girl! Yep….slap some Peter Pan on a piece of white bread and slide on some strawberry jam and I was a happy camper! Can you say sugar and gluten and sugar and gluten and sugar and gluten……and my misery!
In addition to that…..I loved almonds and ate them often….and still do! However, I removed them from my diet for NINE long months while I allowed my gut to heal.
During this time…..I looked for replacements for foods that I had eliminated….and I heard about tiger nut butter for the first time in my life!
I couldn’t find it locally anywhere…..but I did find it on a website that sources nutritious foods that are often difficult to find in the mainstream grocers. Tiger nut butter is expensive!!! As in…..I almost didn’t order. But I decided to try just one jar….and if I liked it….I would consider it a special treat to my weekly routine!
Tiger nut butter is not for those that follow the SAD diet (standard American diet). I truly believe it can only be appreciated by the nutritious elite that have eliminated sugar from their diets and have reset their desensitized tastebuds from over-processed foods. It wasn’t love-at-first-bite for me…..a bit too gritty….sand like even…..but the flavor was favorable and I had a feeling it would grow on me. And it did. I grew to love it and it became a staple for me…..until I finally reintroduced almonds and eventually almond butter.
I will be forever grateful for tiger nut butter and the void that it filled during my nut elimination. I enjoyed it on apples and celery and banana…..often!!!
So what ARE tiger nuts...if they aren't nuts?
It's a root vegetable or a tuber!
And why eat a tiger nut in any form?
Because they are good for you!
It benefits your gut by acting as a prebiotic….stimulating the growth of good bacteria.
One ounce (50 chick pea-sized pieces) provide as much iron per serving as red meat! They are loaded with fiber, vitamins and other minerals such as magnesium, potassium and zinc and only 120 calories.
They are a little mini superfood!
They are available raw, peeled, sliced, paste and in flour and milk forms.
Tiger nut varieties explained
I just recently tried actual tiger nuts themselves…not in the paste/butter form. I still couldn’t locate them locally so I ordered three different bags from Amazon. You can order your "variety pack" here.
Whole
Tiger nuts in their original whole form are quite tough….but not crunchy. They are more fibrous….and chewy….sort of like a date. They release a really sweet and nutty flavor after a few chews. And it takes quite a lot of chewing for just one small nut….they are about the size of a chickpea.
Peeled
Tiger nuts in the peeled form are really good! The tough outer layer has been removed which makes chewing easier….and the sweet flavor hits your tongue almost immediately. I really like this version and think it would make a great movie snack!
Sliced
Sliced tiger nuts look almost like granola or oats. They are sooooo good and I could eat them by the handful. I think they will be delicious in a salad or in no-oat meal!
I can’t believe that I am just now trying the little bean-shaped superfoods…..after over 2 years of clean eating! I hope you won’t wait that long to give them a try and add them to your weekly menu!
For more fun taste tests, be sure to visit my best apple varieties and favorite types of squash.
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