HOW TO USE

• Dress up jasmine or basmati rice by adding red and/or black quinoa along with split green or yellow peas for a colourful rice pilaf.

• Add red and/or black quinoa to your favourite muffin mix.

• Delicious in salads and pancakes.

• A mix of red and black quinoa is a good substitute for couscous or bulgur in recipes.

Quinoa

(pron. keen-wah)
Species goosefoot (genus: Chenopodium)

• Quinoa is grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudograin rather than a true grain as it is not a grass.
• Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it’s been an important food for 6000 years. Quinoa is generally undemanding and altitude-hardy, so it’s easily cultivated in the Andes up to about 4000 metres.
• Total world production in 2005 was 58,400 tonnes; top producers were Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.
• The Incas, who held the crop to be sacred, referred to quinoa as the 'mother of all grains'. 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.

NUTRITION
Quinoa is high in protein (12-18%), 50% higher than wheat. Unlike wheat or rice, which are low in lysine, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it an unusually complete food. This means it takes less quinoa protein to meet one’s needs than wheat protein. It is a good source of dietary fibre and phosphorus; is high in magnesium and iron; is a good source of vitamins A, E and B; and contains more calcium and fat than other grains. Quinoa is also gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

HOW TO PREPARE
Quinoa is easy to prepare, has a pleasantly light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavour makes it an excellent alternative to white rice or couscous. Note: quinoa expands to four times its volume when cooked.

To cook, first wash, drain a cup of quinoa, then soak quinoa in two cups of warm water for 5 minutes and then bring to boil, cover on a low simmer for 14-18 minutes until water is absorbed. Quinoa goes well with vegetables, complementing bitter greens such as kale and dandelion. Makes 2 cups. Quinoa can also serve as a high-protein breakfast cereal mixed with barley malt or rice syrup, or berries.

Also available as black and red whole quinoa, rolled quinoa and quinoa flour.

RED AND BLACK QUINOA
Black quinoa isn't really black; rather it's a blend of black, white, tan and brown. Red and black quinoa seeds are small like millet but are flat with an oval shape. When cooked the outer germ circlet falls from the seed, forming a little white spiral tail, which is attached to the kernel. This circlet remains crunchy while the kernel is soft, delicate and pearly translucent. Red and black quinoa have a gentle, slightly nutty flavour and are versatile when cooked and can be molded or shaped.

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