Everything about Quinoa totally explained
» For the town with a similar name, see Quinua, Peru. "Quinoa" is also a title of a 1992 music album by Tangerine Dream.
Quinoa (KEEN-wah or /ˈkinoʊə/ KEE-no-uh, Spanish
quinua) is a species of
goosefoot (
Chenopodium) grown as a
crop primarily for its edible
seeds. It is a
pseudocereal rather than a true
cereal as it isn't a
grass. Its leaves are also eaten as a
leaf vegetable, much like
amaranth, but the commercial availability of quinoa greens is currently limited.
Overview
Quinoa originated in the
Andean region of
South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Its name is the
Spanish spelling of the
Quechua name. Quinoa is generally undemanding and altitude-hardy, so it can be easily cultivated in the
Andes up to about 4,000 meters. Even so, it grows best in well-drained soils and requires a relatively long growing season. In eastern North America, it's susceptible to a
leaf miner that may reduce crop success; this leaf miner also affects the common weed
Chenopodium album, but
C. album is much more resistant.
Similar
Chenopodium species, such as Pitseed Goosefoot (
Chenopodium berlandieri) and Fat Hen (
Chenopodium album) were grown and domesticated in North America as part of the
Eastern Agricultural Complex before
maize agriculture became popular.
Fat Hen, which has a widespread distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, produces edible seeds and greens much like quinoa, but in lower quantities. Caution should be exercised in collecting this weed, however, because when growing in heavily fertilized agricultural fields it can accumulate dangerously high concentrations of
nitrates.
Chenopods were also used in Europe as greens.
Wild distribution
Chenopodium quinoa (and a related species from Mexico,
Chenopodium nuttalliae) is most familiar as a fully domesticated plant, but it was believed to have been domesticated in the Andes from wild populations of
Chenopodium quinoa. There are non-cultivated quinoa plants (
Chenopodium quinoa var.
melanospermum) which grow in the same area where it's cultivated, which probably are related to the wild progenitors, but which could instead be the descendents of cultivated plants.
History and culture
The
Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as "chisaya mama" or "mother of all grains", and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using 'golden implements'. During the
European conquest of South America quinoa was scorned by the Spanish colonists as "food for Indians", and even actively suppressed, due to its status within indigenous non-
Christian ceremonies.
Quinoa is considered by many Jews to be
kosher for
Passover, if properly processed.
Nutritional value
Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in
pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the
potato, and followed in third place by
maize. In contemporary times this crop has come to be highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its
protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike
wheat or
rice (which are low in
lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of
essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete food. It is a good source of
dietary fiber and
phosphorus and is high in
magnesium and
iron. Quinoa is
gluten free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered as a possible crop in NASA's
Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.
Saponin content
In its natural state quinoa has a coating of bitter-tasting
saponins, making it unpalatable. Most quinoa sold commercially in North America has been processed to remove this coating. Some have speculated this bitter coating may have caused the Europeans who first encountered quinoa to reject it as a food source, since they adopted other indigenous food plants of the Americas like
maize and
potatoes. However, this bitterness has beneficial effects during cultivation, as the plant is unpopular with birds and thus requires minimal protection. There have been attempts to lower the saponin content of quinoa through selective breeding in order to produce sweeter, more palatable varieties. However, when new varieties were introduced by agronomists to native growers in the high plateau, the native growers rejected the new varieties, despite their 'magnificent' yields. Because the seeds no longer had a bitter coating, birds had consumed the entire crop after just one season.
The saponins in quinoa can be mildly toxic, as can be the
oxalic acid in the leaves of all the chenopodium family. However, the risks associated with quinoa are minimal, provided it's properly prepared and leaves are not eaten to excess.
Preparation
Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to
white rice or
couscous.
The first step in preparing quinoa is to remove the
saponins, a process that requires soaking the grain in water for a few hours, then changing the water and resoaking again, or rinsing it in ample running water either in a fine strainer or in
cheesecloth. Boxed quinoa typically has been pre-rinsed for convenience.
A common cooking method is to treat quinoa much like rice, bringing two cups of water to a boil with one cup of grain, covering at a low simmer and cooking for 14–18 minutes or until the germ separates from the seed. The cooked germ looks like a tiny curl and should have a slight bite to it (like
al dente pasta). Alternatively, one can use a
rice cooker to prepare quinoa. To that end, one volume of quinoa should be combined with two volumes of water.
Vegetables and seasonings can also be added to make a wide range of dishes. Chicken or vegetable stock can be substituted for water during cooking, adding flavour. It is also suited to vegetable
pilafs, complementing bitter greens like
kale.
Quinoa can serve as a high-protein
breakfast food mixed with honey, almonds, or berries; it's also sold as a dry product, much like corn flakes.
Quinoa flour can be used in wheat-based and gluten-free baking. For the latter, it can be combined with
sorghum flour,
tapioca, and potato starch to create a nutritious gluten-free baking mix. A suggested mix is three parts quinoa flour, three parts sorghum flour, two parts potato starch, and one part tapioca starch. Quinoa flour can be used as a filling for chocolate.
Lastly, quinoa may be germinated in its raw form to boost its nutritional value.
Germination activates its natural enzymes and multiplies its vitamin content. In fact, quinoa has a notably short germination period: only 2-4 hours resting in a glass of clean water is enough to make it sprout and release gases, as opposed to, for example, 12 hours overnight with wheat. This process, besides its nutritional enhancements, softens the grains, making them suitable to be added to salads and other cold foods.
Name
This crop is known as "quinoa" in English and is pronounced with the stress on either the first syllable (/'kiːn.wɑː/) or the second (/kɪ.'nəʊ.ə/). In Spanish, the spelling and pronunciation vary by region. The accent may be on the first syllable and is usually spelled
quinua (/'ki.nwa/), with
quínoa (/'ki.no.a/) being a variant, or on the second syllable
quinoa (/ki.'no.a/). The name ultimately comes from the Quechua
kinua or
kinoa. There are multiple other native names in South America:
- Quechua: ayara, kiuna, kuchikinwa, achita, kinua, kinoa, chisaya mama
- Aymara: supha, jopa, jupha, juira, ära, qallapi, vocali
- Chibchan: suba, pasca
- Mapudungun: dawe, sawe
Further Information
Get more info on 'Quinoa'.
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