An introduction to the superfood Quinoa

Quinoa has been enjoyed in its home country of South America for over 3000 years. Recently countries outside South America have also started selling quinoa to an ever growing market. It seems to be widely available over the counter in most food shops now. If not you can always buy it online.

What is quinoa?

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Quinoa is often called a grain and is usually catalogued in the grain section of shops. Spinach and chard are in the same plant group. You can eat the leaves as well as the seeds. Beause the quinoa leaves do not stay fresh for long you can only get them where the quinoa is grown. The original seed type is the most important type of quinoa because it holds all the nutritional benefits with it.

What is Quinoa Like?

The seeds are similar to dry rice only about a third of the size. There are different varieties but the most common one is the creamy white type. Red and black quinoa is much rarer. They come in dry packs of 500g or 1kg ready for you to cook. You can use them as a replacement for rice or cous cous. Having said this it does have its own flavour and characteristics that make it quite versatile in the kitchen.

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How do you cook Quinoa?

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The most basic method of cooking quinoa is to boil it in water and simmer for 10 -12 minutes. You need 1 measure of quinoa to 2 measures of water. All the water will be absorbed by the Quinoa. Sometimes the slightly bitter saponin coating has not been removed. 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.

Once you have cooked the quinoa you can add it as a base for meat dishes instead of rice. There is no almost no limit to what you can do with it. As well as blending in well with the other ingredient quinoa adds its own crunchy texture to the mix.

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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. It has been thought of as having a nutty feel and taste. I’m not sure I agree but quinoa does taste good.

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You can microwave quinoa and put it in casseroles as a thickening agent. You can also find quinoa flour and quinoa flakes that you can bake with. The flour is not like wheat flour and you need to use your ingenuity to use it properly.

What is special about Quinoa?

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Quinoa is almost unparalled in the world of seeds and grains. One of the big things is that quinoa is gluten free which is great when so many people have wheat allergies. It also has all the essential proteins so is good for supply vegetarians with minerals and vitamins you can’t get easily from other foods. Because of its carbohydrate makeup its helps sufferers of diabetes and otherr illnesses.

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