Other Common Roots and Tubers Chinese Water Chestnut and Tiger Nut The Chinese water chestnut and the tiger nut, or chufa, are both members of the sedge family, a group of water grasses that includes papyrus The water chestnut is a swollen underwater stem tip of Eleocharis dulcis, a native of the Far East cultivated primarily in China and Japan (Horned water chestnuts or caltrops are the seeds of species of Trapa, water plants native to Africa, central Europe, and Asia.) Tiger nuts are small tubers of Cyperus esculentus, a native of northern Africa and the Mediterranean that was cultivated in ancient Egypt Both taste slightly sweet and nutty, and both are remarkable for retaining their crispness when cooked and even when canned, thanks to phenolic compounds in their cell walls that cross-link and strengthen them The Spanish make the sweet drink horchata de chufa from dried tiger nuts by soaking them in water, grinding and resoaking, straining, and adding sugar In Asia, where Chinese and horned water chestnuts are sometimes cultivated in contaminated water, these foods have been known to transmit cysts of a parasitic intestinal fluke to people who shell them with their teeth Fresh versions should be washed and scrubbed thoroughly before trimming away their tough outer layer, then washed again A brief immersion in boiling water will guarantee their safety Crosnes, or Chinese Artichokes Crosnes are small tubers of several species of Stachys, an Asian member of the mint family; they were brought from China to France in the late 19th century Crosnes are crisp and taste nutty and sweet, something like a sunchoke They’re notable for containing an unusual carbohydrate, stachyose, a combination of two galactoses and one sucrose We can’t digest stachyose, so a large serving of crosnes can ... Crosnes are crisp and taste nutty and sweet, something like a sunchoke They’re notable for containing an unusual carbohydrate, stachyose, a combination of two galactoses and one sucrose We can’t... intestinal fluke to people who shell them with their teeth Fresh versions should be washed and scrubbed thoroughly before trimming away their tough outer layer, then washed again A brief immersion in boiling water will... guarantee their safety Crosnes, or Chinese Artichokes Crosnes are small tubers of several species of Stachys, an Asian member of the mint family; they were brought from China to France in the late 19th