Production of Cookies from Tiger Nut

CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study Cookies (soft type biscuits) are widely consumed in many developing countries. They are usually affordable and consumed by all age groups. In many parts of Sub-Sahara Africa and most especially Nigeria, advancing prosperity and urbanization coupled with tremendous increase in population in recent years have led to increase in the consumption of wheat-based products especially biscuits and bread (Belewu et al., 2006). Cookies are baked flour confectionery dried down to low moisture content (Pareyt et al., 2008). Cookies contain many of the same ingredients as cakes except that they have a lower proportion of liquid with a higher proportion of sugar and fat to flour (Mastud et al., 2018). They are high in sugar content and some contain up to 37.5% sugar. Calories in cookies come from basic ingredient such as refined flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter or oil used in the cooking process (Conforti, 2006; Chan, 2006). Tiger-nut (Cyperus esculentus) also called sedge, chufa, earth-almond, nut grass and nut sedge is a crop of the sedge family widespread across most of the world (Bamishaiye, 2011). In nigeria, it is desinged by Aya, immumu, ofio, Aki hausa according to the Hausas, Yorubas, Efik and Igbos respectively (Barminas et al., 2001). It is a crop which belongs to the division-Magnoliophyta, class Lilipsida, order-Cyperales and Family Cyperales and was found to be cosmopolitan perennial crop of the same genus as the papyrus plant (Oke et al., 2003). Tiger-nut is a known plant food that is common in West Africa especially Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Ghana and Togo where they are primarily uncooked as a side dish (Sánchez‐Zapata et al., 2012). The high crude lipid, carbohydrate contents and its fairly good essential amino acid composition makes tiger-nut a valuable source of food man (Bazine and Arslanoğlu, 2020). Although, Tunde‐Akintunde and Oke (2022) postulates it is an underutilized crop. According to Belewu et al., (2006) tiger-nut produces high quality oil, about 25% of its content and oil is implicated as lauric oil, non-acidic, stable and very low unsaturation. The nuts are valued for their nutritional starch content, dietary fibre and carbohydrate. Tiger-nut has been cultivated since early times (chiefly) in south Europe and west Africa for its small rhizomes which are eaten raw or roasted, used as hog feed or pressed for its juice to make beverage. The processing of these nuts into refreshing beverages drinks not only enhances their utilization in food but also serve as local and suitable alternative to the imported brands. It can be eaten raw as a snack or crushed with the result to be “health” food since it’s consumption can prevent heart disease and thrombosis (Chukwuma et al., 2010). Tiger-nut flour has been tried as an alternative to wheat flour as it is gluten free and good for people who cannot take gluten in their diet. It is considered as a good flour additive for bakery industry as it’s natural sugar content is really high avoiding the necessity of adding extra sugar (Ani, 2021). In view of the scarce flour supply in various developing countries including Nigeria and the ever increasing gap between the requirement and population, efforts have been made over the years to develop alternative flour like products from which potato, and cassava have been accorded high attention. The increasing importance of snack foods such as cookies in today’s eating habits have not been fully exploited in the developing countries. This probably is as a result of the prohibitive cost of imported wheat which leads to high cost of baked product. Also wheat has given issues in recent years about gluten related allergies and therefore not suitable for those who have weight problem, celiac disease or diabetes (Shewry and Hey, 2016). 1.2 Statement of the Problem Wheat has been reported to create health issues when consumed by those who are on gluten free diet (Sabneca et. al., 2021). The deficiency of some nutrients in wheat flour such as protein, minerals, necessitated the need to include flour from other sources that are richer in the nutrient that are deficient in wheat of these nutrient in the body especially in children can lead to malnutrition and so many diseases such as kwashiorkor, marasmus, ricketier, scurvy and so on (Shetty, 2013). Furthermore, due to the high demand of wheat flour and the unfavourable weather condition in this Nigeria for its high production (farming) has steered the high amount of money for the purchase of it and usage in bakery products especially cookies (Oriola, 2009; Adebayo and Ojo, 2012; Tadesse et. al., 2019). In order to help eradicate the above problems, work was undertaken to produce cookies from tiger-nut a tuber crop, protein rich and gluten free product which would have high nutritional quality, physical acceptance. 1.3 Justification of the Study Researches have shown that tiger-nut as a tuber crop and protein-rich crop, have great nutritional and dietary qualities and values when used in the production of bakery products and confectionaries (Kuznetsova et al., 2021; Eke-Ejiofor and Deedam, 2015). On this basis, the use of tiger-nut in the production of cookies. thereby meeting consumers’ demands in respect to their health and having a great economical advantage in the aspect of cost of production using local raw material which is readily available round the whole year. 1.4.1 Aim and Objectives Aim of this is to produce cookies from tiger-nut flour. 1.4.2 The Specific Objectives of this Study are: 1. to produce flour from tiger-nut flour. 2. to produce cookies from tiger-nut flour. 3. to carry out sensory evaluation on the cookies produced from tiger-nut flour.