CHEMICAL AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF RECONSTITUTED TIGER-NUT MIX (CYPERUS ESCULENTUS) FROM SEEDED POWDER AS FUNCTIONAL DRINK IN GASHUA YOBE STATE

Production and acceptability of a reconstituted tigernut drink from dry powdered tigernut mix were carried out to compare the chemical and sensory properties with the regular, fresh tigernut drink. Proximate analysis revealed that protein, fiber, moisture and carbohydrate content were higher in regular tiger nut drinks compared to the powdered sample drink mix. But the crude fiber and ash content were observed to be higher in powdered mixed drinks than in the regular tiger nut drink. The pH and emulsifying properties of the regular drink show a significant difference at p ≤ 0.05 from the powdered mixed drink. The total acidity of the powdered mix drink reveals better samples compared to the regular fresh drink mix. Sensory evaluation results indicated that regular tiger nut drink had higher mean values for flavor, taste, consistency and overall acceptability. No significant difference was seen in appearance, flavor, taste, consistency and overall acceptability between the regular and the powder with vanilla flavor. However, the regular drink sample also had the lowest values of 3.7±1.8b for texture. The high sensory values for the regular drink sample could be due to panelists, familiarity with tiger nut milk products and their acidity levels. The study suggests that tigernut drinks are good sources of carbohydrates and protein. The wet milling process (regular drink) retains more nutrients than dry milling (powdered sample). Sensory properties vary significantly between production methods; the study provides valuable insights into the nutritional and sensory characteristics of tiger nut drinks, highlighting the potential benefits of wet milling and the importance of production methods on final product quality.