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Quinoa by HLife Photography

Growing up in Lima, Peru, quinoa was no stranger to our home. In fact, it was a staple. Whether in soup or as an entree, this “gold of the Incas” was (and still is) for us the golden ticket to endless delicious meals, superb both in taste and nutrition.  This is a perfect grain choice for vegans or anyone transitioning into a plant-based diet and worried about protein intake because, if there is one thing that everyone is getting to know about quinoa as it  gains popularity in the United States is that this food is a complete protein.

History: Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) has been cultivated since at least 3,000 B.C. in the South American Andes of Peru, Chile and Bolivia. The ancient Inca empire called it “The Mother Grain” because it was not just a staple food for them, but also a sacred item in their culture. This grain was so highly regarded that it was tradition for an Inca leader to plant the first quinoa seed using a golden shovel. The Inca armies used quinoa mixed with some fat combination to sustain their many days long marching routines; they called the mix “war balls”.  It has been only a short time that Canada and the U.S. started cultivating the seed, when two entrepreneurs from Colorado started growing it in the 1980s.  Nowadays, quinoa can be found in most natural food stores all over North America.

Description: Technically, quinoa is a not a true grain. It is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant.  But since it is used as a grain, cooked like a grain and acts like grain, people call it a grain. Quinoa comes in different colors, from cream/ivory and red to brown and black, depending on the variety. There are many species of the Chenopodium plant but only three main varieties are cultivated: white quinoa, red quinoa and black quinoa, with white being the most popular. The seeds are very tiny and they almost look like millet, but they are flat (you could call them the lovechild of the sesame seed and millet.) When cooked, quinoa fluffs up, rendering a soft texture that is slightly crunchy with a mild, delicate and slightly nutty taste. The leaves of the Goosefoot plant are also edible and have  a high-nutrient profile.

Before cooking, quinoa must be thoroughly rinsed in order to remove their bitter resin-like coating called saponin.  Even if the box or label says “already rinsed,” it is best to rinse again, to remove any residue that the seed have left.

Nutritional Info: Here is where we fall in love with quinoa. Not only is quinoa a source of complete protein, containing all essential amino acids and more (12-18% protein), it is also particularly high in iron – 1/2 cup contains almost 8 mg, which is way more than any other cereal grain. It is particularly high in lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. It’s also rich in cystine and methionine-amino acids, which are usually low quantity in other grains. An alkaline-forming food, it is rich in calcium and a good source of Vitamin E and several B vitamins. Quinoa also contains albumen, a protein that is found in egg whites, blood serum and many plants and animal tissue. Quinoa is gluten-free, with a low sodium content, and extremely high in manganase as well as a good source of copper, which are vital for superoxide dismutase, an antioxidant that helps to protect the mitochondria from oxidative damage created through energy production and from injury caused by free radical damage. It is also a good source of magnesium, a mineral that acts as a co-factor for more than 300 enzymes, including enzymes involved in the body’s use of glucose and insulin secretion, contributes to cardiovascular health, and  aids in migraine headaches. A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology showed that foods high in insoluble fiber such as quinoa, can help women avoid gall stones.  Also, it’s a perfect whole grain that helps lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Application: Quinoa is like Bubba Gump shrimp – so many uses but this one is all from one cruelty-free, nutritious food. An incredibly versatile whole grain-like seed, quinoa can be spouted and eaten raw, made into flour, or cooked and eaten as a side, soup or entree.  It’s perfect to add to a veggie soup (check out our quinoa veggie soup recipe), or to have cold in a salad (for protein) and used as a pilaf instead of rice. When you have leftover quinoa, you can make pancakes out of it – it’s delicious – or you can use it as a gluten-free breakfast cereal instead of oatmeal. You can also make quinoa sushi, we love it.  To cook, use 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water per 1 cup of washed and rinsed quinoa, and it cooks in 15 minutes.  Cooked quinoa can be recycled into a vegan souffle, croquettes, even made into quinoa faux burgers.

In my home we love pasta but the only kind of pasta we make is gluten and corn-free pasta. Quinoa also comes in pasta form courtesy of two companies from California. Both organic, one is a brown rice and quinoa combination from a company called Andean Dream and the other just from quinoa flour, from a company called Ancient Harvest Quinoa. These are the only two we use and we highly recommend both.