Tiger nuts Harvest In Valencia

VALENCIA, SPAIN - JANUARY 18: An employee washes 'chufas' (tiger nuts) after being harvested on January 18, 2016 in Valencia, Spain. According to the Valencia's Tiger Nut Regulatory Council, the cultivation of 'chufa' (tiger nuts) is living its golden years, in part due to its popularity fuelled by followers of the fashionable Paleo Diet. Some celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Uma Thurman and Matthew McConaughey are known to be users of the Paleo Diet. An Oxford study published in January 2014 concluded that a human ancient ancestor nicknamed 'Nutcracker' who lived in East Africa between 2.4 million and 1.4 million years ago survived mainly on a diet of tiger nuts. Tiger nuts are farmed in 19 towns surrounding the Spanish eastern city of Valencia, being the only area of Europe where 'chufa' (tiger nut) is grown for centuries. Tiger nuts grown in Valencia are mainly used to make a popular drink named 'Horchata', but farmers have seen how prices and demand for tiger nuts have increased as they are being considered a so-called super food, high in iron, potassium and Vitamins C and E. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)