A small tuber from a plant (Cyperus esculentus) that tastes slightly sweet and is used to make horchata, a popular drink in Spain and Latin America.
From Spanish 'chufa,' possibly derived from Arabic 'شوفة' (shufa) or Latin 'cyper.' The plant was cultivated by Arabs in Spain, and the word traveled through Spanish commerce into English.
Chufas are an ancient crop that can grow almost anywhere—archaeologists have found evidence of their cultivation in Egypt over 4,000 years ago, making horchata one of humanity's oldest refreshing beverages.
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