tigernut
tigernut Lexical Profile
• noun
The small, sweet, striped edible tuber of the yellow nutsedge plant (Cyperus esculentus), eaten raw, roasted, or ground into flour, and traditionally used in Spain and West Africa to make horchata.
"She soaked the dried tigernuts overnight before blending them with water and cinnamon to make traditional horchata."
A perennial grasslike sedge plant (Cyperus esculentus) of the family Cyperaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical regions of the Old World, cultivated for its edible underground tubers.
"Farmers along the Mediterranean coast have cultivated the tigernut in sandy soils for centuries."
Word Nuance & Usage
Despite its name, the tigernut is botanically an edible underground tuber rather than a true tree nut, making it safe for individuals with tree nut allergies.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.