Tigernut Drink (Kunun Aya)
Overview
Tigernuts are not nuts. They are the small tubers of Cyperus esculentus, a sedge, and they have been eaten for a very long time: they were cultivated along the Nile and have been found in Egyptian tombs, which places them among the oldest documented foods on the continent. In Nigeria the drink made from them is kunun aya, a Hausa preparation from the north, where tigernuts are soaked, blended with dates or coconut and sometimes ginger, and strained into a sweet, creamy, faintly nutty drink. It is sold in bottles and bags across northern Nigeria and increasingly across the country, and it belongs to the same family of kunu drinks as kunun zaki and kunun gyada. The tuber also travelled. It spread through the Mediterranean and reached the Iberian peninsula under the Moors, where Valencia developed horchata de chufa, which is the same drink under a Spanish name and is now better known internationally than its African relative. The source for this recipe tells that Spanish story at length and never mentions kunun aya, which is a reasonable illustration of how African foods often reach the world labelled as something else.
AFN Heritage Note
Tigernuts, the tubers of Cyperus esculentus, were cultivated along the Nile in ancient Egypt and have been recovered from Egyptian tombs. The tuber spread through the Mediterranean and was introduced to the Iberian peninsula under Moorish rule, where it became the basis of horchata de chufa. In northern Nigeria the drink is documented in Hausa as kunun aya.
Ingredients
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Place the tigernuts in a bowl and cover with water. Leave to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight, which softens them and makes them easier to blend.
- 2
Drain the soaked tigernuts and rinse thoroughly under cold water.
- 3
Combine the soaked tigernuts, 4 cups of water, the sweetener, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt in a blender. Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.
- 4
Place a nut milk bag or a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth over a large bowl or jug. Pour in the blended mixture and let it strain, squeezing or pressing to extract as much liquid as possible.
- 5
Taste and adjust the sweetness, and add more water if you want it thinner.
- 6
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- 7
Stir before serving, since it separates on standing. Garnish with cinnamon or cocoa powder if you like.
- 8
Serve over ice.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Laila Yetunde- Soak them properly, at least eight hours and overnight is better. Tigernuts are hard and under soaked ones will not blend to a creamy consistency however long the machine runs.
- Squeeze the bag hard when straining. A great deal of the drink is held in the pulp and a gentle press gives a thin, disappointing result.
- Keep the pulp. It can go into baking or into smoothies for fibre, which is what most Nigerian households do with it.
- For a version closer to Nigerian kunun aya, blend the tigernuts with dates and a little fresh coconut instead of the vanilla and sugar, and add a small piece of ginger.
- It separates in the fridge, which is normal rather than a fault. Shake or stir before pouring.
Reviews
4 reviews
You Might Also Like
Browse all Nigerian recipes →
Edo Black Soup
Nigerian Fisherman Soup
Igbo Yam Porridge
I found dried tigernuts at my local co-op and had no idea what to do with them until now. Soaked them for about 10 hours overnight because they were rock hard. Squeezing the pulp through my nut milk bag took a bit of wrist strength, but my kids loved it chilled with a drizzle of honey. Tastes surprisingly creamy!
Made this yesterday after blending on high for a full 3 minutes. My cheesecloth got completely clogged up though and it took forever to strain out all the gritty bits. The taste is really good, especially with a splash of vanilla extract, but should I buy a proper nut milk bag for next time?
I soaked the tigernuts for 12 hours to make sure they softened properly. Blending took some patience because they are quite tough on the blades, but straining gave a very smooth milk. Added a little maple syrup. Very poa for hot afternoons.
Vanilla in kunun aya? Ah ah, that one is new to me o! I usually blend mine with dates and ginger, but I tried this simple version today with honey because I had no dates at home. E sweet sha, very refreshing when chilled in the fridge.