Quality of the final product.
Over the years, LA HUERTANA 1960 has become a Spanish icon.
Right from its creation, it has shown a lasting interest in preserving the artisan traditions in the process of making and selling tigernuts for horchata producers. Yet its founders’ commitment to cultivating and drying tigernuts dates back to earlier years.
In fact, they began to purchase tigernuts for subsequent drying and selling them back in 1981. At that time, there was already a large drying room, which meant that there was plenty of space to process larger quantities than those cultivated in the family’s own fields.
In addition, by acquiring machinery for harvesting and sorting tigernuts, they could expand the family’s production.
In 1984, an industrial tigernut washing site was built, which quickly became a meeting point where farmers could wash their tigernuts and merchants came to buy them.
Throughout its intense trajectory, the production aspect has been increasing its share within the company more and more, and it now accounts for 18% of the total activity. After successive infrastructural changes and expansions of the facilities, La Huertana 1960 has always remained true to its ideals of quality and respect for traditional craftsmanship. The company’s permanent objectives include continuously improving the quality of the final product and ensuring the full satisfaction of its clients.
What is the Tigernut?
The tigernut is a tuber
The scientific name is CYPERUS ESCULENTUS L. It is a perennial plant belonging to the Cyperaceae family with thin rhizomes that are locally swollen into subglobose tubers known as “tigernuts” (or “chufas” in Spanish).
In Spain, its habitat is centered around the humid, sandy areas of the Mediterranean coast, being cultivated in Valencia and nearby towns such as Alboraya and Almàssera.
It seems to have been introduced to Europe by the Arabs in the Middle Ages after their expansion through North Africa. Its cultivation, however, dates back to Egyptian times.
Tubers have been found in Egyptian tombs of the XII dynasty. They are cited as a very precious food and used as a frequent symbol in the hieroglyphic writing of Upper Egypt. In Spain, charred tubers found in grave number 70 of the Iberian necropolis of Coimbra del Barranco Ancho in Jumilla, Murcia have been identified as belonging to the genus Cyperus.
In English, the tigernut is known by many names, such as chufa, atadwe, yellow nutsedge, or earth almond.
Its name is derived from the Greek “kypeiros”, meaning “edible rhizome”; and this term, in turn, is derived from “kypris”, which is the name given to the goddess Aphrodite in Cyprus, because of the supposed aphrodisiac properties of this plant. In the language of flowers, the sedge or tigernut symbolises “desire”.
In Spain, and mainly in the province of Valencia, the tigernut is grown as a second crop within the field’s crop rotation. The tubers of Cyperus esculentus L. can withstand the cold, but the above-ground part of the plant thrives in the summer. In addition, sprouting requires temperatures above 12ºC.
Therefore, in Valencia, plants are sown from mid-March to early June.
The crop is best adapted to loose-textured sandy loam soils.
The frequency of irrigation varies with the climate and type of planting used, ranging between 10 and 15 irrigations in total, depending on the climatic conditions of each season.
Tigernut processing
Locally sourced and produced:
From seed to horchata
Control over the full process.
Not a single horchata producer in Alboraya would leave part of their horchata production in the hands of strangers. Neither do we.
1
SEED AND CULTIVATION
We sow the tigernuts every spring and harvest them from November onwards, as always.
2
WASHING
The tigernuts go directly from the field to our washing facilities. We clean them with water and remove any roots, stones, and defective tigernuts. This is where the selection of the best ones begins.
3
DRYING
The tigernuts are cured in our drying sheds for 3-4 months. Naturally, slowly, and without forcing the drying process, 80% of the water is removed.
4
SORTING
Once they enter our plant, 12 machine vision cameras discard the tigernuts that do not meet our quality standards.
5
STORAGE
Our plant has an automated and monitored system to control temperature, humidity, and ventilation so that the tigernuts are always in perfect condition. This plant has a storage capacity of 1,575 tonnes of tigernuts.
6
SANITISING
The tigernut essence is pasteurized at a low temperature, which helps sanitise and preserve the horchata.
7
WASHING AND GRINDING
Once in the horchata processing plant, we rehydrate the tigernuts by immersing them in water and washing them again. After the tigernut has recovered its initial volume, it passes through the mills, where it is crushed.
8
PRESSING AND FILTERING
This crushed paste passes through presses with a sieve to extract the juice that will serve as the base for the ‘Or, Xata! Polo’ drink.
9
FILLING
At Polo, we have the capacity to fill around 3,000 bottles per hour.
10
LABELLING
Labelling is a complex process. We must pay attention to the container surface, material, and shape. At Polo, we have a labelling system that takes all these factors into account during the whole process for the perfect result.
Make your own horchata
Ingredients:
- 250 grams of tigernuts
- 150 grams of sugar (optional amount, depending on how sweet you like it)
- 1 litre of mineral water
Cinnamon (optional)
Preparation:
The first step is to wash the tigernuts well and soak them in water to let them hydrate and fluff up. They should be soaked in fresh water for about 8 hours, and the water should be changed several times every now and then to remove impurities. After this time, toss the water, wash the tigernuts well under the tap, and drain them. Then, put them in a bowl with half a litre of mineral water and sugar, and start to grind them little by little with a blender or food processor. Do this for a few minutes to break them into the smallest possible pieces. Little by little, the ‘milk’ will come out of the tigernuts. Then, pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer by tightly squeezing it, for two reasons: to remove the impurities and to squeeze out the tigernuts’ juices a little more. Then, put anything leftover in a very fine cloth or napkin and squeeze it well to filter out all the juice, down to the last drop. This is hard work and requires patience. The resulting tigernut milk should be filtered again through the strainer, which should now be covered with a new piece of cloth, to repeat the previous step. Natural horchata always has some particulate matter in it, minimal as it may be, so don’t get too obsessive about it. After filtering, add the rest of the water to the container and mix it up vigorously. Put it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours so that it is nice and cool when it comes time to serve it. Horchata should be served very cold, in a tall glass. If you like, you can even put it in the freezer for a few minutes before drinking it. And remember to stir it well before serving. That’s all, enjoy!! You can buy tigernuts to prepare your own horchata here.