Did You Know Quinoa Is Not Technically A Grain?

I have often been asked what quinoa is. Most people believe it is a grain when in truth it is a vegetable related to the beet, chard, and spinach. The industry calls it a "pseudo-cereal" which is "the name for foods that are cooked and eaten like grains and have a similar nutrient profile." (whfoods)

Grown in the Andes for over 5,000 years, quinoa is celebrated as one of the most nutritionally complete foods. "While no single food can supply all the essential life sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom." (Sergio Nunea de Arco)

Quinoa Growing in the Andes

Why eat quinoa?
1. Quinoa is gluten-free. 
2. It's one of the only plant foods that's a complete protein, offering all the essential amino acids in a healthy balance.
3. It has a high ratio of protein to carbohydrate.
4. Quinoa is also highest of all the whole grains in potassium.
5.  Did you know that over 120 varieties of quinoa grown though we only see the basic, red and black variety in the stores?

Check out the Whole Grains Council website for in-depth information about the nutritional value of quinoa. 

Cooking quinoa:
According to whfoods, "quinoa grows with a bitter coating, called saponin, that fends off pests and makes quinoa easy to grow without chemical pesticides."  This coating can leave a bitter aftertaste after it is cooked.  Simply soak the quinoa for 20 minutes in cold water before cooking it to help remove that bitter taste.

My favorite quinoa recipe is in the recipe section of this blog. There are many recipes on Pinterest and blog sites so have fun exploring.

Please share your favorite quinoa recipes!


References: 
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=142
From the above site: Thanks to Sergio Nunez de Arco of Andean Naturals for the photos and some of the information on this page.