I often look to ancient cultures to study their dietary trends. I figure the food they ingested was closer to the source, pointing to more “heirloom” strains that are, in turn, better for my health.

Tigernuts, was a food that struck me as very interesting. It was supposedly 80% of our paleo ancestors’ diet as well as a known staple food for the ancient Egyptians, dating back to predynastic times. These “sacred roots” were even found in tombs, suggesting that they were such a precious commodity that the royals wanted to take them to the afterlife.

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The name tigernut is a bit of a misnomer. It’s actually not a nut, but a tiny root veggie called a tuber. So why have we forgotten about this tiny gem? Maybe we’ve just lost touch with our “roots.”

Tigernuts pinged my radar through a company, Organic Gemini, who make a surprising amount of products from the mini tuber. Tigernuts are actually traditionally used to make horchata and you can also eat them as a dried snack, in flour form for baking, and is even made into a oil.

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Very few people have allergies to tigernuts and are often labeled as “allergy-free”. They are also paleo, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and can be eaten raw.

Furthermore, tigernuts are the best known plant source of a special type of fiber called resistant starch (a.k.a prebiotics). Prebiotics are known to be healthy for your gut’s microflora and is said to boost the immune system.

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Tigernuts are also chock-full of other goodies. For example, they contain as much potassium as coconut water and as much iron as red meat and spinach. They’re also rich in vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid, which have been shown to decrease cholesterol significantly and hydrate skin.

As far as taste goes, tigernuts are pretty unique. They have a slightly sweet taste and a crunchy chewiness that is unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. Almost like a cross between an almond, a macadamia nut, and a garbanzo bean, perhaps?

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Including these nutritional powerhouses in our diet may be a step toward a healthier body and I’m happy they’re back on the radar and scene.  By: Bess O’Connor