Do you ever buy something at the grocery store not really knowing what you are going to do with it? I've done this with Tigernut butter, Tigernut flour and Tigernuts. Once I get home, I start searching for recipes online, and then start trying different things out. The trouble is that I haven't found anything I like that uses Tigernuts.
Soaked Tigernuts over raspberries.
Tigernuts aren't actually a nut. They are a small tuber, just like potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams and cassava. They have a sweet nutty taste, and can be a great alternative to nuts for people who have allergies or sensitivities to nuts, or who are on an autoimmune protocol. Tigernuts are high in fibre, and are a good source of monounsaturated fats. There are many claims that they are also high in resistant starches, but I haven't seen research supporting that claim. Other raw tubers are high in resistant starches though, so it would make sense that this one is as well. Tigernuts are dehydrated to make them shelf-stable, and the end result looks a bit like a tiny dried wild mountain fig. These little tubers have been embraced by the Paleo and Autoimmune communities. I suspect that they are not SCD or GAPS compliant, due to the fact that other tubers aren't allowed on these protocols, and the high fibre content could be irritating to the gut lining.
AIP Eat More Bars
MY TROUBLES
I keep trying to find a recipe I like. Here's my experience to date:
1. Flour: I tried a variety of pancake recipes, but they all seemed gooey on the inside and burnt on the outside.
2. Whole: I tried using the dried Tigernuts the same way I would use nuts. I made AIP Eat More Bars, which are a sweet treat, but I find the Tigernuts to be too hard and fibrous to be enjoyable. Then I decided to try soaking them, and put them over a bowl of berries - still too hard and fibrous to be enjoyable.
3. Tigernut Milk: I haven't actually tried making this, because I know from past experience (and a bit of research to confirm) how labour intensive milks are to make, and then you have the pulp to deal with. Dehydrated pulp makes a mediocre flour that is gritty.
4. Tigernut Spread: This is very similar to any other nut butter. To date it's my favourite way to eat Tigernuts. It's good on celery sticks or for dipping fruit into.
Have you had similar troubles with finding a way to enjoy a food? Kale? Liver?
Do you have a Tigernut recipe that you really enjoy? If you do, please share!
Happy, Healthy Eating!
Tracey