Tiger nuts have a long history and are mainly produced in Africa and the Mediterranean coast. About 2 million years ago, 80% of the food of human primitive ancestors came from tiger nuts, which was the most important source of nutrition for early humans. 654.38 million years ago, tiger nuts were the main food for human beings in Africa, which provided vital support for human survival, evolution and reproduction. 9000 years ago, ancient Indians separated from Africa by an ocean also used tiger fruit as their daily food. 6000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians began to domesticate and cultivate wild tiger nuts, and planted them on a large scale in the Nile valley. Tiger fruit has become one of the important crops in ancient Egypt, and it has also become a delicious food that can not be separated from the royal family to the common people. In 2000 BC, tiger nuts were regarded as a tribute to the Egyptian royal family, and even became a sacrifice in the royal tombs of ancient Egypt. It can be seen that the status of tiger nuts is very noble.
Tiger nut cultivation has been introduced to China for more than 60 years, which belongs to coarse cereals with the same origin of medicine and food. Its medicinal value is highly valued. According to the Compendium of Xinhua Materia Medica, Tiger Fruit is pungent, sweet and warm, which has the functions of soothing the liver, promoting qi circulation, invigorating the spleen and nourishing the stomach, and is mainly used for hypochondriac pain and chest tightness caused by liver depression and qi stagnation; Symptoms such as abdominal distension, stomachache, anorexia, spleen deficiency, food stagnation and indigestion caused by qi stagnation in the spleen and stomach. "
After testing, tiger nuts are rich in potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, manganese, vitamin E, vitamin B 1, B2, B6 and other trace elements. Its protein content is three times that of milk. It contains no cholesterol and is rich in 17 amino acids. Linoleic acid and linolenic acid are higher than olive oil. Rich arginine is especially suitable for children and sports people, and the natural vitamin E exceeds 56%.
Regular consumption of tiger fruit and its products can prevent three high diseases, such as myocardial necrosis, myocardial infarction, arteriosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, stomach tumors, arthritis, gastrolith, leukemia, diabetes, cataract, organ aging, bone deformation and other diseases; Strengthen liver function and regulate the secretion of adrenaline; Can promote the growth and development of baby bones, and is an excellent nutritional product for pregnant women and a fetal growth agent; It contains soluble fiber, amino acids and starch, and has the characteristics of good digestion. It can treat constipation, maintain intestinal tract and prevent intestinal tumors. It can help people to adjust their body balance and enhance their immunity. It is a well-deserved healthy fruit with the same origin of medicine and food.
Tiger nuts are not only nutritious and healthy, but also very delicious. They taste like peanuts and walnuts. They are full of oil, but they are sweeter than peanuts and contain more water than walnuts. They are called "underground walnuts".
In Africa, tiger nuts are the daily food of African people and widely exist in the food system in Africa. Tiger nut juice is often used by Africans to replace breast milk because of its rich nutrition and easy absorption.
In Europe, tiger fruit is made into traditional drink "Ochata", which can be seen everywhere in the streets of Valencia, Spain. People often eat a kind of cake called "fartons" (sweet and slender, which can be dipped in horchata) with Ochata, just like China's soybean milk with fried dough sticks. The tiger nut industry in Valencia is very mature, and its deeply processed products are deeply loved by Europeans.
Tiger nuts are also very popular in the United States. They are called "super food" because they contain high contents of iron, potassium, magnesium, vitamins E and C. Many people evaluate their sweet and delicious taste as "shocking taste", and children can often buy them in local dessert shops.
At present, many foreign enterprises process tiger nuts into rich products, such as raw beans, plant milk, flour, edible oil and so on. , involving health, beauty, cosmetics, daily necessities and other industries.
Tiger nut oil has high nutritional value. Its quality is better than rapeseed oil and comparable to olive oil. Tiger nuts are all non-genetically modified natural crops, and their safety is guaranteed.
Tiger nut oil is rich in a variety of unsaturated fatty acids necessary for human body (saturated acid 20%, oleic acid 64%, linoleic acid 1 1%, flax oleic acid 2%), rich in trace elements and a lot of VE and Vc, free of cholesterol, with strong antioxidant capacity and high nutritional value. It contains no trans fatty acid, can be used for high-temperature fried food, has less oil fume and is not easy to deteriorate at high temperature, and is a high-quality substitute for trans fat (hydrogenated oil) oil, which is more in line with the eating habits of China people who like high-temperature cooking.
According to the data of the World Health Organization, the optimal ratio of linolenic acid to linoleic acid is 1: 4. When approaching the optimal ratio, the function of the human body is the most efficient, and external diseases are not easy to invade the human body. The content of linoleic acid and linolenic acid in tiger nut oil is obviously higher than that in olive oil, and the ratio of linolenic acid to linoleic acid is close to the golden ratio 1: 4 recommended by the World Health Organization.
Linoleic acid content is equal to 3 bottles of olive oil, linolenic acid content is equal to 4 bottles of olive oil and vitamin E content is equal to 3.86 bottles of olive oil.
Tiger nuts not only have healthy ingredients, but also can produce high-quality natural non-transgenic healthy edible oil, and its oil yield is also considerable.
It is reported that the oil content of tiger nuts is as high as 20% ~ 36%, and its yield per mu is generally 800~ 1000 kg. The yield of high yield land can reach 1200~ 1300 kg, and the high yield can reach 2000 kg. 600-800 kg of dried beans can squeeze about 200-300 kg of edible oil. It is much higher than rapeseed, soybean, peanut and other oil crops. Planting one mu of tiger nuts is equivalent to planting 7~ 10 mu of rape and 3~5 mu of peanuts. The oil yield per mu is about 4 times that of soybean, 2 times that of rape and 1.5 times that of peanut, which is the highest among oil crops at present. Therefore, tiger nuts are well-deserved "kings in oil" by agricultural experts all over the world.
In terms of planting, tiger nuts are indiscriminate, with high yield, obvious comparative benefits and obvious ecological and environmental advantages. First of all, the height of its leaves and stems can reach about 1 m, and it is soft and tough, which is a good raw material for nutritious forage and weaving technology. Secondly, it does not compete with grain for land, and has wide adaptability, drought resistance, waterlogging resistance and barren resistance. It doesn't matter whether it is planted in wasteland, sandy land, beach, hillside, saline-alkali land, or in tea forests, orchards and Gua Tian. Can effectively use marginal land resources for planting.
Thirdly, the growth period is short and the yield is high. It can be planted twice a year, and the planting period is only 1 10 to 120 days. In addition, it is easy to store. Mature root tuber is not easy to rot and mold because of its large dry matter ratio. The fruit sown in the soil will grow new seedlings in the next spring. It can be said that it is easy to grow and manage, and it is a kind of Green ecological plant. China has about 400 million mu of sandy land. If 20% of it is used to grow tiger nuts, it can produce 8.8 million tons of high-quality edible oil every year, accounting for about 30% of China's annual vegetable oil consumption, which can replace 70% of imported soybeans and other oils, and fundamentally reverse the tight supply of edible oil raw materials and dependence on imports in China.
Herb stems and leaves on the ground of tiger fruit are high-quality feed for raising cattle, sheep, fish, rabbits and geese. Underground fruits can be eaten raw, fried, pressed with high-quality healthy edible oil, made cakes, extracted starch, processed food, boiled sugar, brewed wine and used as feed.
According to relevant data, "Tiger fruit itself can be pressed for oil and made into beverage, and 50 kg of starch can be produced per 100 kg of oil salad cake after oil pressing;" After refined starch, 40 kg of maltose can be produced per 100 kg of salsa cake; After refining starch and maltose, 25 kg of high-grade liquor with 50-70 degrees can be brewed per 100 kg of oil cake. The remaining powder residue is still a good feed. "
Its comprehensive development and economic utilization value is extremely high, and it is called "all-round nut" by everyone.
Farmers who grow tiger nuts can get a net profit of at least 2000 yuan per mu, which is equivalent to 2 times that of planting corn, 2.5 times that of peanut, 3 times that of soybean and 5 times that of rape. Planting tiger nuts in desertification areas can help local farmers get rid of poverty. While increasing farmers' income, it can also ensure that citizens eat green and organic oil.
It can be predicted that when the tiger nut industry is booming, it will definitely make a difference!