This strawberry horchata is made from tigernuts, as a riff on traditional horchata de chufa. It has a lovely sweetness touched with almonds and plenty of fresh strawberries.
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Why Tigernuts Make Great Horchata
Tigernuts arrived in Spain from Africa with the Moors. And they're used in traditional preparations of the classical Spanish drink: horchata. White rice, less expensive and more widely available, has replaced tigernuts.
Tigernuts are particularly rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and potassium as well as vitamins C and E. They're also a good source of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat thought to boost HDL (good cholesterol) levels. Tigernuts are also particularly rich in resistant starch which helps to build and support gut health, and may even play a role in reducing insulin resistance (read it here).
April says
I wanted to clarify about using the soaking liquid for the nuts. I've always used fresh water and not the soaking water whenever I've made my own nut milk, as I understand the point of soaking is to remove the phytic acid that makes it harder to digest the nuts properly. If we use the same water, doesn't it defeat the purpose of soaking in the first place since the phytic acid will now just be in the water?
Jenny says
Hi April!
You're actually mistaken on a few different points, so I'll clarify them for you.
First, as explained above, tigernuts are not nuts; rather, they're root vegetables, and they're not a significant source of food phytate.
Second, for your nut milks or for other foods rich in food phytate, consider that food phytate doesn't dissolve into the soaking medium; rather, soaking simply deactivates it. Essentially, soaking activates enzymes that breakdown the food phytate, not completely, but to a degree.
Lastly, in an otherwise mineral-dense diet, food phytate is probably not a significant concern.
Alison says
Just made this (I would have made it earlier, but I had to order the tigernuts) and it was as good as I was hoping! Tastes a lot like strawberry milk. I doubled the recipe and added 1/4 honey to the doubled recipe, and that seemed to be just the perfect amount of sweetness. Thanks for the great recipe!
Danielle LeBaron says
Hi Jenny,
I can’t even tell you how excited I was to try this recipe! I studied abroad in Spain about six years ago, so I have missed good horchata. I love the idea of using strawberries to add a fruitiness to the drink. Have you ever tried a ginger horchata? Not only does the ginger do wonders for the digestive system, but it has such a fresh and refreshing flavor as well!
Jenny says
Glad you like it, Danielle.
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Yum! This looks delicious, Jenny. Like a milk shake, but lighter. I need to try it!
Lauren @ the soaked bean says
Wow Jenny, this looks lovely! I was able to try tigernuts once while living in the Bay Area, but haven't found them here in Switzerland, yet I had no idea they were the traditional ingredient in horchata, which I absolutely love.
Will have to try this when I'm back in the U.S. this August, maybe w/ some seasonal blueberries instead 🙂