Tiger Nuts from Valencia

Special tiger nuts called Chufa de Valencia are  grown in nineteen Valencian towns in the L'Horta Nord area. They have been cultivated here for hundreds of years and Valencia produces around   5.3 million kilograms of tiger nuts each year.  On the right you can see how they are grown in the fields of Chufa Bou.

Once harvested tiger nuts are carefully sorted and then dried. The drying process is important to the quality of the tiger nuts, as this help to develop their distinctive flavour. The drying is carried out in large warehouses where the tiger nuts are turned by hand every day.

The water irrigation system is an ancient system of canals which has been designated a UNESCO world heritage site, and the farms still use this system today. We think it is really important to help to preserve this important cultural and architectural heritage, and by buying  Chufa de Valencia you are doing exactly that! Chufa de Valencia is an artisan product regulated by the Chufa de Valencia Regulatory Council since 1995.

In Spain tiger nuts are used to make a delicious traditional drink  called horchata de chufa which is simple to make. Traditional horchata de chufa is made with sugar, but you can see here how easy it is to make your own healthier version of tiger nut milk easily at home.

You can see how tiger nuts are grown in Valencia, how they are harvested and carefully dried before being made into horchata de chufa in a short video courtesy of RTVE below.

Tiger Nuts from Africa

Tiger Nuts are grown primarily in West and North Africa, and in Africa tiger nuts are used to make a traditional drink called Kunnu aya, or a dish called swallow .

In Africa tiger nuts can be grown all year round. African tiger nuts are rounder and darker than Valencian. They are grown in small farms and harvested in traditional ways and can be a vital source of income for communities.

Fair for Life promotes a Fair Trade approach that allows all those producers and workers who are socioeconomically disadvantaged to access a wider range of social and economic benefits. 

Fair Trade is part of a broader context of sustainable development in a region that safeguards and supports the local social fabric, particularly in rural settings.