What is
quinoa ?
Quinoa is a
plant originating from south America, closely related to vegetables such as
spinach and beets . Quinoa is not a true grain while it is used as such.
Quinoa is
very easy to cook and it is possible to use quinoa in a very similar way such
as other grains, you can cook quinoa very much like rice, while it is also
possible to make quinoa pasta or quinoa bread, in other words very versatile.Quinoa has
a very long standing tradition among the native population in the Andean regions
in south America, successfully domesticated up to 4000 years ago.
The quinoa
nutritional facts are very impressive making this superior to most grains we use today and unlike some of those quinoa is not (yet) geneticly modified,
especially since quinoa protein is one of the few plant protein that is
considered to be a complete protein so its very useful for a vegetarian and especially a vegan
diet where getting enough and the right amino acids can be a problem.
quinoa has
been a stable in the diet of Andean cultures since it was domesticated,
considered by the Incas to be sacred and the mother of all grains it was used
for ceremonial reasons before the Spanish arrived and banned its use(in part due
to its sacred status) .
Quinoa comes
in several colors the most common is white but you also have red quinoa and
black quinoa. While it’s difficult to find sometimes red quinoa is now finding
its way into the western markets alongside the white variation and black quinoa
seems to be the toughest to find.
Quinoa is
quickly rising in popularity and this is probably for good reason, there are
studies that show the health benefits of quinoa and the fact alone that quinoa
protein is high quality makes this a ideal addition to any vegan diet who often
has a issue with finding quality protein without dairy products.
The quinoa
nutritional facts and values show that quinoa calories are very respectable
with about 368 kcal/100 grams it is slightly higher than wheat but quinoa
protein are much higher and carbohydrates lower and slower to digest. Quinoa protein
is about 14grams for 100grams making this a high protein food for a plant at least.
The proper Quinoa
pronunciation is “Keen-wah“
Note: that
quinoa nutrition value is far better when you allow it to germinate for a few hours
before cooking, this will activate its natural enzymes and multiply its vitamin
content, it only takes about 2-4houres to germinate, this will also soften the
seeds making it a ideal food to make a quinoa salad.
Note: the
leafs of a quinoa plant can also be eaten as any leaf vegetable but this is
commercially very limited and hard to find.
