Ofio Drink (Tiger Nut Drink) is a traditional Nigerian recipe for a classic drink made by soaking ground tiger nuts in water to extract their milk and flavouring with alligator pepper. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Nigerian version of: Tiger Nut Drink (Ofio Drink).
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This is the Nigerian Igbo version of Horchata which is made from ground tiger nuts flavoured with alligator pepper.
Tiger nuts are sold in every market all over Nigeria. The Hausa call it 'Aya', the Yorubas 'immu' and the Igbos 'ofio' or 'aki Hausa'. They are the dried tubers of a sedge that grows all over West Africa.
Often tiger nuts are given to pregnant and to nursing mothers as they are believed to promote lactation.
Pick over the nuts and remove any that are damaged or rotten. Place the nuts in a large bowl, cover with plenty of water and set aside to soak for 24 hours. Change the water at least three times during this period to prevent the risk of fermentation.
Drain thoroughly, transfer to a food processor, add a little of the water and process to chop. Now add half the remaining water and the ground alligator pepper seeds and process until smooth.
Turn into a bowl, add the remaining water and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes. Typically, the drink is consumed as it is, with all the fibre still in it. However, if you like a smoother drink you can strain through a fine-meshed sieve lined with a double layer of muslin.
Bottle the liquid and chill in the refrigerator before serving. If desired you can sweeten with sugar before serving.
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