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Considered as one of today’s super foods is the unassuming Quinoa, a cereal-like seed that is native to South America and considered sacred by the Incas. With the number of vitamins and minerals found in Quinoa it is even considered a complete food, it is no wonder why Quinoa is considered sacred by an ancient civilization.

Healthy Contents

For such a simple-looking seed, the Quinoa contains all the nine essential amino acids the body needs and yet it’s lower in carbohydrates as compared to most other cereal grains.

Unlike wheat, it is free from gluten.

Moreover, it is a superb source of dietary fiber, phosphorus and high amounts of magnesium and iron. It also has calcium, potassium, manganese, folate, and Vitamin E.

Preparation

Prepared as food, Quinoa is so easy to cook. It has a light and fluffy texture and the flavor leans towards something nutty. It can substitute rice or some other starchy food. Housewives add their favorite meats and vegetables into it.

The only consideration when preparing Quinoa is to remove the saponin, a waxy coating of the seeds that is bitter. It can easily be removed by rinsing the seeds thoroughly before cooking.

Often, Quinoa in supermarkets had been through proper rinsing before being sold. If the Quinoa still has its coating on, rinse it very thoroughly in a strainer, soak it for hours, and rinse it again.

Texture and Appearance

When cooked, Quinoa seeds swell three or four times its size. They become tender and have a springy texture. Lightly toasted before cooking, it produces a roasted flavor that is pleasantly nutty.

It does not overpower the taste or texture of other foods like rice, couscous, beans, and many others. It can be boiled and steamed (like rice) but needs only half the time to cook.

Boiling

Quinoa, like other whole grains, can be prepared by boiling, absorption and steaming. Any combination of these methods can be used, depending on the type of recipe or effect one wants in the final dish.

The most basic – and the easiest – of all is boiling. It is cooked in an uncovered pot with enough water to cover the seeds.

Once cooked, the seeds and water are strained in a colander and left there to make sure excess moisture is removed. (This method is to cover the uncertainty of the correct quantity of water to put in when boiling.)

Absorption

Absorption is the most-commonly used method when cooking most types of grains, and is also used when cooking Quinoa. The grains are cooked in a specific amount of water that can be absorbed by the grains.

This method may need some trial and error because of the many variables – temperature, the heat source, the age and quality of the grains, and others.

Steaming

This is the most time-consuming method, although it can produce perfectly cooked seeds (or grains). This is because moisture is absorbed slowly and the cooking is very even.

Most often, steaming is done in conjunction with other methods. Quinoa is sometimes boiled briefly before being steamed, or they are soaked in water for long periods before steaming. Just like other grains, Quinoa can be cooked in conjunction with other food items for variety in taste.

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Quinoa, the ancient food from the Andes, is back. It had come a long way after having been absent from the table since the time of the Spanish colonization of South America. And way before that, it had been a staple food of the Incas for around 5,000 years.

The Incan people called Quinoa as the “mother grain” and revered it as sacred. It has been said that at every planting season, it was a tradition for the Incan emperor to lead in the planting of Quinoa using a golden shovel.

War Balls

The Incans, even from way back then, had already known the tremendous nutritional value of Quinoa. In times of war, the Incan army who often marched for days going to war was ably sustained by eating a mixture of quinoa and fat known as “war balls”.

When the Spaniards came, the propagation and cultivation of quinoa was outlawed. It was grown clandestinely by peasants in remote mountains for their own consumption.

Most Nutritious Food

Rediscovered sometime in the 80s, Quinoa soon grabbed the attention of food scientists, nutritionists and farmers. It was soon discovered that the unassuming seed (it is not a true cereal) packs a wallop of rich nutrients – proteins, minerals and vitamins – in large percentages in so small a package. (It is around the size of a sesame seed.)

Quinoa has all the eight essential amino acids (considered a complete protein) and is high in lysine. It is also a good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins.

It has also most of the minerals needed by the human body – calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc, iron, magnesium and copper. It also contains a considerable amount of fiber.

Cooking Quinoa

Quinoa is great in hot casseroles, stews and soups and in stir-fried recipes. Quinoa sprouts are added in cold salads. In rice dishes, Quinoa is used as a substitute for rice.

Quinoa flour is also used in making pasta and other baked products. The seeds are sprouted and eaten raw in salads.

The Parent Plant

Technically a seed and not a true grain (cereal), Quinoa is often used as a grain or a substitute for grains. The plant is actually a relative of the spinach and beets, and grows from 4 to 6 feet tall.

The flower heads are branched and with large clusters of seeds at the end of the stalk. It can grow anywhere but thrives in cool dry climates in elevated areas.

Preparing

Before cooking, the seeds must be rinsed to remove the saponin, the bitter seed coating. Usually Quinoa had been rinsed before it is packaged and sold. However, it is best to rinse it again.

Place the seeds in a strainer, run the water and rinsing it thoroughly washes the saponin. (In South America, the saponin rinsed from the seeds is used as detergent to wash clothes.)

Types

There are over a hundred varieties of Quinoa, but only three main varieties are cultivated. They are the white or sweet variety, the dark red type and the black quinoa. The seeds are similar and almost of the same size.

One common denominator of all the three Quinoa varieties – they all are super nutritious, just like their ancient family.

Quinoa, the recently rediscovered super food, is often mistaken for a type of grain. On the contrary, it is actually the seed of a leafy plant related to spinach and amaranths. (Some people label it as a pseudo-cereal.)

It is an organic food grown in the Andes mountains of Ecuador where it thrives quite well. It is also impervious to extreme weather or poor soil conditions.

Nicknamed the “gold of the Incas” because it helped in keeping the stamina of their warriors, Quinoa seeds are small (the size of millet or sesame seeds) and are round. It can be cooked in around 12 minutes and the cooked seeds have a crunchy texture and tastes nutty.

Contents

Quinoa contains all the 9 essential amino acids and the choice of most vegans because of its high protein content. It also has lysine, the amino acid responsible for tissue growth and tissue repair.

It is also a very good source of iron, copper, phosphorous and manganese. With its slow release of carbohydrates, the body would feel full for a longer time than most cereal grains.

Medical Notes

Quinoa is perfect for people with migraines, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. It is a good source of magnesium which relaxes blood vessels of the body and is good for general cardiovascular maintenance.

Moreover, it prevents constriction and dilation that happen during migraines. The magnesium helps people with hypertension, ischemic heart disease and cardiac arrhythmia and improving the general cardiovascular system.

Calcium

In a half-cup of Quinoa seeds, around 50 mg of calcium is present compared to the 28 mg in the same quantity of whole-wheat grains.

The calcium content of a cup of Quinoa is one quarter to one third that of a quart of milk. However, calcium from the Quinoa is considered first hand (calcium from cow’s milk is considered 2nd hand) and is absorbed faster by the body.

More Minerals and Others

Quinoa also contains manganese and copper which help the cells from damage caused by free radicals in the body system. The fiber in Quinoa helps fight cancer and avoid gallstones in women.

Copper and manganese from Quinoa help boost the body’s immune system. It protects cells (especially the red blood cells) from damage.

It is also rich in riboflavin (vitamin B2) which improves the energy metabolism of the brain and muscle cells, subsequently reducing the frequency of migraines in turn.

Food Use

Red Quinoa is used for cooking in soups, burgers, stuffing, breads, muffins, porridge and others. Because it is a plant, the amino acids from Quinoa are easily absorbed by the body.

Red Quinoa also contains dietary fibers (insoluble), folate (vitamin B9) and riboflavin (vitamin B2). It is free from gluten and the choice grain for those watching their heart’s health.

Quinoa Sprouts

Sprouted Quinoa contains dietary fiber and omega 3 fatty acids. It is also gluten-free and is a very good source of vitamin B6, niacin and thiamine.

Quinoa is also a good for the heart because it has low fat content and a source of complex carbohydrates. It was once used to treat motion sickness, appendicitis, and ingested by nursing mothers.

Considered a “sacred grain” by the ancient Incas, Quinoa was also called “chisaya mama” (mother of all grains). The ancients must probably know how such a lowly seed was actually a nutritional heavyweight.

As records would have it, Quinoa was even available as staple food to pre-Columbian people some 6,000 years before the Incas discovered them. The modern re-discovery of Quinoa (the 80s) took another 500 years or so (since the time of the Spanish colonization of the Americas). Today, it is now regarded super food.

Super Grain

Also nicknamed “super grain”, Quinoa is not really a grain (cereal) but the seed of a leafy plant related to the common spinach or the beets. What makes it super and on top of the other foods are the many nutrients it carries.

It has all the 8 essential amino acids needed by the body, an impressive collection of some of the most important vitamins (more of the Bs) and minerals, plus it sports a considerable pack of necessary fiber. It even has the added bonus of being gluten-free.

Quinoa Nutrients

Aside from the complete pack of amino acids, it also has lysine. Quinoa has the calcium content that rivals that of cow’s milk, but is better because its calcium is “first hand” and digests better than the “second hand” calcium in milk.

Moreover, it has more iron than ordinary grains, and a good source of such other minerals as magnesium, potassium, manganese, zinc and copper. The vitamins are as varied: vitamin E, vitamin B6, niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid and others in traces.

How it Looks

Quinoa seeds are about the same size as a millet or sesame seeds. They are flat, with a pointed oval shape. There are many colors of the seeds, depending on the variety but the most common are the white and red varieties available in supermarkets.

Cooked, the seeds turn translucent and are light and have a fluffy texture when chewed. During cooking, the external germ spirals out and forms into a tiny crescent-shaped tendril like that of a bean sprout.

The grain is soft and creamy but the “tail” is crunchy making up for some unique eating experience.

Preparation

One of the reasons why Quinoa survived this long is because it has its natural deterrent from animal predators (birds) and the environment (cold). This comes in the form of a bitter coating called saponin.

In cooking the seeds, this coating has to be washed and rinsed away. Place the seeds in a fine strainer and run cold water for some 2 to 3 minutes or until the drain turns clear.

Most Quinoa manufacturers washed and cleaned their seeds before selling them. However, it does not hurt to wash them just before cooking.

For that nutty, roasted flavor, toast the seeds over medium heat in a dry skillet for five minutes. To cook, use one part of Quinoa to two parts water.

Cooking is simple. Simply combine the liquid and the seeds, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the grains becomes translucent, and that little tail comes out of each granule.

This takes about 15 minutes. You are then ready to eat Quinoa, the super food.

After being out of circulation since the Spanish conquest of South America, the food plant Quinoa is staging a comeback in the world’s food arena. Acknowledged by the world’s nutrition experts and food scientists as one of the world’s most nutritionally rich (if not the richest) food sources, Quinoa’s re-appearance couldn’t be more timely.

As a food plant that had been extensively cultivated by Colombian cultures all the way to the Incas, Quinoa has a more than 6,000 year track record of providing nutritionally rich diets to the people in the Andean valleys and surroundings.

Marginalized after the rise in popularity of the grains barley, corn and wheat, it suffered the most when its cultivation was outlawed by the Spanish regime.

Present-Day Farming

Presently, it is now grown in high and cold regions of the countries Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia Chile and Argentina, although in reduced quantities. This is, of course, mostly due to economic and social reasons.

Harvesting and threshing, done mostly by manual labor, consume great efforts and time (days on end). Aside from this, Quinoa needed an extra laborious process – the rinsing of the seeds to remove the bitter saponin before it can be deemed fit for consumption.

Farming Conditions

The Quinoa also has an outstanding ability to withstand and adapt very harsh environmental conditions like cold and drought. Normally, seeds germinate when conditions are suitable, although in the wilds, they may remain in the soil for 2 or 3 years without germinating.

The plant has strong resistance to droughts, but it requires sufficient humidity at the start of farm time.

Nutritional Value

The plant’s natural nutritional values are incredibly rich and considerable. For one, it has all of the 8 essential amino acids needed by the body, excluding lysine which is good for tissue growth and repair.

It also has great quantities of calcium, and the other minerals like iron, copper, phosphorous, and manganese. It also has most of the vitamin B types and riboflavin (B6). Not least of them all is the considerable fiber content of this incredible seed.

Medical Notes

Quinoa is being recommended by health professionals as a natural source of large quantities of magnesium which is good for cardiovascular maintenance. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels, and consequently lowers the risks of high blood pressure and other heart illnesses.

The leaves, stems and grain have been known to have some medicinal properties like anti-inflammation, as analgesic, and as a disinfectant of the urinary tract. It is also used in cases of fractures and internal hemorrhaging.

Food Use

To date, there are around a hundred food preparations and recipes that use Quinoa as the primary ingredient. These include tamales, salads, pickles, soups and casseroles, stews, pastries and sweets, desserts and beverages. It also include making of breads, biscuits, and pancakes.

Quinoa is most versatile because many of its parts can be used for a number of preparations. Usable are the whole grain, the roasted flour, small leaves, and instant powder.

To date, there are three main varieties of Quinoa that are commercially available – the white or sweet variety, the dark red and the black variety. The seeds are all similar and almost of the same size.

By this time, you may have already heard about the re-discovery of the “super food” called Quinoa. The most exciting thing about quinoa is its health benefits due to the presence of many beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Being one of the staple foods of the Incas dating back to some 6,000 years ago, its re-discovery is a saving grace among today’s mass-produced but less-than-nutritious staples.

What is Quinoa, and how important is it in today’s circumstances in food and nutrition?

Seeds

Quinoa is actually the edible seed of Chenopodium quinoa, a plant species related to spinach and amaranths. Though the leaves are sometimes used as vegetables, the seeds of the Quinoa are more valuable and are used as food.

The seeds are treated (and cooked) as cereal or food grains. It was regarded as a sacred crop by the Incas, and was commonly referred to as the “mother grain”. It was said that during the planting season, the emperor (or a high Inca leader) would lead the sowing of the first quinoa seed with a golden shovel.

When the Spaniards arrived (and later prohibited the cultivation of the Quinoa crop), there was a decline in the production of the food crop. With the rediscovery of the many health benefits of the Quinoa, there had been a resurgence today in the renewed cultivation of the crop in many parts of the world.

Quinoa Varieties

There are three types of this almost-flat oval-shaped grain – and they also differ in color (and slightly in flavor). The most common is the white variety, while the black kind is very rare.

Quinoa grain has a nutty flavor when cooked. It also becomes soft and has a creamy texture that is easily digestible. There is also a quinoa flour used for other cooking purposes.

Nutritional Content

There is a long list of beneficial ingredients present in Quinoa. First, it has all the complete nine essential amino acids. It is also high in the amino acid lysine which is necessary in tissue growth.

It also has a considerable amount of minerals needed by the body. A 40-gram uncooked Quinoa contains 30 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of proteins, 3 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of fat, 21 micrograms of folate and 3 IU of vitamin E.

It also contains 25 milligrams of calcium, 89 mg of magnesium, 174 mg of phosphorous, 315 mg. of potassium and 0.96 mg of manganese.

Health Benefits

For one food source so rich in magnesium, Quinoa is perfect for cardiovascular health because magnesium helps relax blood vessels. Consequently, it lowers the risks of high blood pressure and other related heart problems.

The minerals copper and manganese in Quinoa boost the body’s immune system and protects the red blood cells from damage. Its rich fiber content (insoluble) is suited to fight against breast cancer and gallbladder stone formation in women.

Super Food

There are many food crops that are rich with one or two very important nutrients. With Quinoa, there is an abundance of many essential nutrients that some nutritionists consider it as a complete food source. It can also slow the uptake of the sugars involved with white flour, white sugar and other “fast” carbs. This gives the body more time to absorb the remaining nutrients before they’re burned up. Some even qualify Quinoa as a “super food”.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Ellner