Nuts

In Shell

In-shell tiger nut is the sweet tuber of Cyperus esculentus, also called chufa—not a true tree nut sold still protected by its hard shell for longer storage and table cracking. Shells slow oxygen and light, often keeping kernels fresher than poorly stored shelled nuts. Guests crack their own for interactive snacking; bakers shell ahead for control. Flavour once opened should be sweet, coconut-almond-like, and crunchy when dried. Origin: likely Africa/Mediterranean with ancient Egyptian and Iberian use. Process: soak dried tubers for drinks; mill for flour; not shelled like tree nuts. Store cool and dry; discard nuts with holes, mould, or a dusty rattle. Botanically a tuber—important for allergy communication even when sold beside nuts. Allergen: not a tree nut botanically but label for cross-contact and personal allergy histories. Provide a bowl for shell waste so fragments do not migrate into desserts. Use a proper cracker on very hard shells to avoid smashing kernels to dust.