At a traffic light in Accra, a young woman walks between the cars with a cool box on her head. Inside are plastic bottles of a pale, creamy drink. “Atadwe milkye!” she calls. The drink is made from tiger nuts, small wrinkled tubers that Ghanaians call atadwe in Twi. Soaked, blended and strained, they produce a sweet, milky liquid that many people prefer to soft drinks. In recent years, atadwe milkye has grown from a home recipe into a small industry, with young entrepreneurs selling it on the streets and online.
Tiger nuts and the drink
Despite the name, tiger nuts are not nuts. They are small tubers from the roots of a sedge plant. They are chewy and slightly sweet. In Ghana, raw tiger nuts are sold by hawkers in small bags and chewed as a snack. Atadwe is the Twi name. The tiger nuts are washed and soaked overnight to soften them. They are then blended with water and strained through a cloth to produce the milk.
Many sellers add ginger, dates, coconut or a little sugar. Some add cloves or nutmeg.
Bottling, business and hygiene
The drink is best served cold and is usually sold in reused or new plastic bottles. Because it contains no preservatives, atadwe milkye spoils quickly and must be kept cold and drunk within a day or two. Many young people, especially women, have started small businesses making and selling the drink, using social media to find customers.
Sellers often promote the drink as healthy, and tiger nuts contain fibre. Customers should be careful of exaggerated claims made in marketing. Because the drink is made by hand, clean water and equipment are important. Buyers often choose sellers they know.
Horchata, events and price
In Spain, a similar tiger nut drink called horchata de chufa is popular, especially in Valencia. Tiger nuts grow in several parts of West Africa, and the drink is also made in Nigeria, where it is known as kunun aya. Atadwe milkye is now served at parties, weddings and church events as a local alternative to soft drinks.
A small bottle costs a few cedis, depending on size and location. Atadwe used to be sold mainly as a chewy snack in small bags. Blended into milk and chilled, it has become one of the drinks Accra’s street sellers carry through traffic.