Organic Quinoa 'Grain' - Ancient Superfood!

“The Gold of the Incas” it has been called, and the Incans themselves called it the “Mother of All Grains”. Though commonly considered a grain, Quinoa (keen-wah) actually isn’t a true grain at all. It is a pseudo-cereal or pseudo-grain, the quinoa seed is actually harvested from a plant more closely related to leafy green vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard.

Quinoa’s species name is Chenopodium Quinoa; it’s a member of the wild goosefoot family, so named for the goose-foot shaped leaves. Cultivated by the ancient Incans for thousands of years, it’s been making a comeback over the last couple decades. Partly this is due to quinoa's very high nutritional value, but partly it’s due to its mild nutty taste and versatility.

Gluten free, wheat free quinoa flour is used for healthy or allergen-free baking while raw, germinated quinoa is tossed into salads. Cooked quinoa is providing a fantastic alternative to pastas, potatoes, and rice and couscous or other grains. In fact, quinoa is now used to make healthier pastas.

Originating in the Andes Mountains, this pseudo-grain was highly valued by the Inca Indians. Not only was quinoa used as a primary food staple, it was also held as sacred. It was the “mother seed” or “mother grain”, the first yearly sowing of which called for a special ceremony by the Incan emperor.   

Sacred though it was, the Incan armies made “war balls” out of quinoa mixed with animal fat. These “war balls” kept the soldiers moving on long marches.

The reign of quinoa all but died when the conquistadors descended upon South America. Originally the quinoa fields were burned to defeat the Incas, but later the cultivation of the plant was forbidden –probably at least partly for religious reasons.

The sacred place that the “mother seed” held in the spiritual lives of the Incas was not to be tolerated for long by the Incans’ Christian invaders. The “gold of the Incas” was put aside. The natives were compelled to grow more maize instead.

Of course it’s also probably true that the European conquistadors simply didn’t like quinoa. In its natural state the seed is coated with saponins, a bitter tasting residue which protects the seed crop from ravaging birds. Saponins are toxic, but the coating is rinsed off easily prior to consumption.

At any rate, for about 400 years quinoa cultivation was limited to small peasant farms in remote, South American locations. Though the knowledge of quinoa had become almost lost, save those who sheltered its secret and nourished its survival, today there are approximately 2000 known cultivars.

In 1982 the plant was brought back to common knowledge by Dave Cusack who had learned of it from a Bolivian associate. With help from the University of Colorado, Cusack began cultivating quinoa on arid plateaus of the Rockies.

With its high nutritional value, simple versatility, and usability as a gluten-free wheat substitute, the pseudo-grain caught on quickly with health-conscious consumers, cooks and connoisseurs. Almost wiped from human memory quinoa is back and bigger than ever.

Peru and Bolivia once again grow large cash crops of the “mother of all grains”, accounting together for over 85% of the world’s quinoa production. Though quinoa cultivation has been introduced to several other nations and regions of the world, the cool, dry climate of the Andes is still the best location for quinoa’s growth.

The plants aren’t too picky, but do prefer well drained soils and plenty of warm days. In America the crop does fairly well in certain areas of the northwest, but on the eastern coast quinoa is susceptible to leaf miners which can decimate a crop.

Modern agricultural selective breeding techniques produced a quinoa which is free of the bitter tasting, toxic saponin coating. Growers in the Andes, however, rejected this “new and improved” quinoa. When they tried growing it, birds consumed the coating-free harvest.

Though there are literally a couple thousand strains of chenopodium quinoa, the cultivated varieties fall into three main categories. Those with pearly white seeds compose the largest category of white quinoa or sweet quinoa, followed by those quinoa cultivars with dark red seeds, known as red quinoa. The least common of the three main types of quinoa is called black quinoa.

With seeds which are nearly a true black in color, these black quinoa are probably closest to the original quinoas grown by the ancient Incans. Black quinoa have a bit more bite in their spiral tails, making for a less sweet but more ‘crunchy’ quinoa.

All three of these main types of the quinoa 'grain' are very high in nutritional value. Known as ‘complete proteins’, quinoa contains all nine of the essential amino acids. In addition quinoa is a source of substantial amounts of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorus, as well as providing zinc and potassium and vitamins E and Bs. Unlike many grains, quinoa is easy to digest, but is still a good source of fiber.  

Many people have turned to quinoa as a wheat substitute. It is probably most popular for being gluten free. However its health benefits go much further. The growth of the vegan movement has also contributed largely to quinoa’s growing usage, but vegans and allergy sufferers aren’t the only ones who can benefit from adding quinoa to their diet.

Quinoa is low on the glycemic index. This means quinoa can help maintain a more level blood sugar level, possibly decreasing one’s risk of developing Diabetes. Regular intake of quinoa also seems to help stop insulin resistance, which is often a precursor of Type 2 Diabetes.

Spikes and drops in blood sugar level cause snacking hungers and overeating. The low glycemic index of quinoa and the regulated uptake of sugars gives a person a ‘full’ feeling for a longer period of time. Quinoa helps you to avoid between-meal-snacks.

And like other, more official grains, quinoa is heart-healthy, reducing overall cholesterol. All this at about 159 calories a serving.

The main thing to remember about cooking with quinoa is that it should be well rinsed prior to use. Generally, quinoa sold in the U.S. is already 'pre-rinsed', but another rinse to remove any last traces of saponin. Saponin is only toxic at higher levels, but the bitter taste is better left behind anyway, so even if you're an occassional consumer of quinoa, the pseudo-grain will still be best rinsed first in clean water.

Similar to rice when served plain, quinoa can be a bit bland. When using quinoa as a side dish, it’s best prepared with some seasoning. The standard recipe calls for bringing to a boil and simmering for 10 to 15 minutes. But you can use the stock of your choice to boil the quinoa seeds. Tossing with sautéed herbs, mushrooms or other vegetable makes a nice dish.

Quinoa –cooked, toasted or raw- is often used in salads as well. It makes a great substitute for bulgur grain in Tabbouleh. It also works very well in soups and stews, casseroles and dips. Quinoa seeds can be sprouted (germinated) in water in just a few hours to release the nutrients and enjoy raw. If given a few days to grow out, quinoa sprouts can be used on salads as you would bean, broccoli or alfalfa sprouts. You can also eat the leaves of the quinoa plant, though not on a regular basis due to their oxalic acid content.

Of course, finely ground quinoa seeds are made into a gluten-free flour for baking, which opens up a whole other area of cooking with quinoa. Which reminds me that even in whole cooked form, quinoa can be used in various desserts, such as the popular cinnamon quinoa pudding or quinoa layered with fruits and cream.

I’ll be posting several of the best quinoa recipes here soon, but in the meantime there are plenty of quinoa recipes already available on the web. Additionally there’s a couple of great quinoa cookbooks available. The new Quinoa 365 is my favorite, and I highly recommend it for anyone interested in adding quinoa to their diet.

Bob’s Red Mill is a 25 year old company based in Oregon. Using quinoa still grown in the Andes, they produce an excellent organic quinoa, as well as quinoa flour. Both are gluten-free, ground and packaged in the separate, gluten-free facility at Bob’s Red Mill.

Bob’s is a favored source of quinoa ‘grain’ and flour. In fact, Bob’s is a favored source for many whole grains. Using stone grinders in the traditional way, Bob’s Red Mill mills and distributes “Whole grain foods for every meal of the day.” That’s their motto.

I can’t tell you how many different grains are milled at Bob’s. In their Grains, Rice and Beans category they have 65 items. They also have 66 different kinds of flours and meals and 18 types of oats. So you can see that they take their grains –and their pseudo-grains- quite seriously.

Not only does Bob’s Red Mill offer great quality and selection, they also just became an employee owned company. Its octogenarian owner bestowed the company into the employees’ hands just this past February of 2010. It was done in a manner of trust, allowing for ownership shares by future employees as well, and is said to be set up in a way to insure the ongoing quality of the operation. The bestowment is also said to be worth hundreds of thousands to each employee.

So they’re a forward-thinking company, founded by truly great people with quality, healthy products and friendly customer service. If you’re going to try quinoa or you frequently utilize other whole grains in your cooking, Bob’s Red Mill is a great source. They also do bulk sales, and as is usually the case, their products –including their organic quinoa and organic quinoa flour- can be purchased online at great savings.