What you need to know about chufa

Chufa is not a nut, not a seed, not a vegetable, not a grain, but actually a tuber that grows between the roots of a type of grass (cypergrass). Chufa is also called tiger nut or earth almond.

​

Origin and growth habit

The tiger nuts are ancient: 2.4-1.4 million years ago our ancestors lived on tiger nuts. This means that they are also “recognizable” to our body (paleolifestyle). Later they were used by Egyptians (5000 B.C.) to make bread with chufa flour. From Egypt, the chufas were then taken by the Moors to Spain, where they were gradually spread and became popular for use in other forms: pressing into oil or into the well-known "nut drink" horchata.

​

Health benefits

Chufas are very rich in vitamins B and E. They also contain a lot of potassium and magnesium.

This tuber contains 33 grams of fiber per 100 grams, so it is a good source of nutrition for our intestinal bacteria. We also call these good fibers for our intestines prebiotics.

 

Chufa and intestinal flora

There are 2 types of fiber: “unfermentable” fiber, which you find in vegetables and fruit. They ensure good intestinal flora. Less well known are the “fermentable fibers” that also end up in your large intestine and serve as nutrition for your intestinal flora. These are also called prebiotics.

 

When the bacteria in your colon feed on these fibers, they produce butyrates, butyric acid. These butyrates nourish the cells of your intestines. They make the intestines stronger, ensure that more nutrients are absorbed and that the pH is optimal. Butyric acid also has anti-inflammatory properties.

 

In addition to fermented foods, chufa is also very rich in these health-promoting prebiotic fibers! Chufas are also naturally completely gluten-free and allergen-free, as they do not belong to the nut family, but to the root vegetables.