Cyperus esculentus (also called chufa sedge, nut grass, yellow nutsedge, tiger nut sedge, or earth almond) is a crop of the sedge family native to warm-temperate to subtropical regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It can be found wild, as a weed, or as a crop. There is evidence for its cultivation in Egypt since the fourth millennium BC, and for several centuries in Southern Europe. In Spain, C. esculentus is cultivated for its edible tubers, called earth almonds or tiger nuts, for the preparation of "horchata de chufa", a sweet, milk-like beverage. However, in most other countries, C. esculentus is considered a weed.