An introduction to the superfood Quinoa

Quinoa is not a new fad but has been around for over 3000 years. It is still grown mainly in Bolivia and Ecuador although farmers in the southern states of the USA are now growing quinoa as it becomes more and more popular. It seems to be widely available over the counter in most food shops now. If not you can always buy it online.

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What is quinoa?

 

Quinoa is often called a grain and is usually catalogued in the grain section of shops. It is actually a seed from a plant that is related to Spinach and Chard. The leaves can be eaten, not just the seeds. Beause the quinoa leaves do not stay fresh for long you can only get them where the quinoa is grown. The seed version however is increasing in production and is recognised by nutritionists as one of the most beneficial foods in terms of mineral and vitamin content.

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What is Quinoa Like?

 

Quinoa seeds are quite small and have a hard shell to them. The standard quinoa seed is a pale cream colour .You can occasionally get hold of red and black quinoa seeds aswell. They come in dry packs of 500g or 1kg ready for you to cook. You can replace any favourite rice dish you have with quinoa very easily. This doesn't mean it is bland and uninteresting - far from it. It has a taste and original texture of its own.

 

How do you cook Quinoa?

 

The simplest way of preparing quinoa is to cook it on the hob in boiling water. You need 1 measure of quinoa to 2 measures of water. All the water will be absorbed by the Quinoa. Some quinoa still has a coating of bitter tasting saponins. You will need to get rid of this coating by running the quinoa under a tap for a minute or two. You are unlikely to buy coated quinoa as most shops sell it pre-rinsed but its best to be sure.

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You can replace your favourite rice dishes with the finished quinoa. You can put it in many other types of recipes. You will find that it blends well with most foods as it absorbs the flavour of the accompanying ingredients.

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If you look closely you can see a "tail" that is just the quinoa germ. You will feel a nice crunchy feel when you eat some. This is why I think people say it tastes a bit nutty. I’m not sure I agree but quinoa does taste good.

 

You can microwave quinoa and put it in casseroles as a thickening agent. As well as the seed version there is also quinoa flour and quinoa flakes. The flour is not like wheat flour and you need to use your ingenuity to use it properly.

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What is special about Quinoa?

 

There are a number of things that make quinoa special. Being Gluten free you can include it into almost any special diet and it will not cause any health complications. Vegetarians all like it because it contains vatimins not found elsewhere and so fills in some of their protein gaps. Because of its carbohydrate makeup its helps sufferers of diabetes and otherr illnesses.