You mat not be familiar with Quinoa but it has been enjoyed by the peoples of South America for thousands of years. It is still grown mainly in Bolivia and Ecuador although farmers in the southern states of the USA are now growing quinoa as it becomes more and more popular. 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?
Quinoa is often called a grain and is usually catalogued in the grain section of shops. It comes from the same plant family as spinach and you can eat the leaves in the same way. You can eat the leaves as well as the seeds. Of course the leaf version is only available where it is grown as it does not store or travel well. The original seed type is the most important type of quinoa because it holds all the nutritional benefits with it.
What is Quinoa Like?
Quinoa seeds are quite small and have a hard shell to them. The standard quinoa seed is a pale cream colour .You can occasionally get hold of red and black quinoa seeds aswell. When I buy it I get it in 500g or 1 kg dry packs. 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?
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. You will find that the water goes into the quinoa and it should need draining. Sometimes the slightly bitter saponin coating has not been removed. If you find this is the case you must pre-rinse it before you go and cook it. Nearly all the quinoa you cn buy now has been rinsed before packing but its better to be sure.
You can replace your favourite rice dishes with the finished quinoa. You can put it in many other types of recipes. It takes on the flavour of the foods you cook it with and adds it own little bite to the taste.
When the quinoa is cooked you get a little “tail” that is the germ of the seed. You will feel a nice crunchy feel when you eat some. This is why I think people say it tastes a bit nutty. I’m not sure I agree but quinoa does taste good.
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. You do have to go careful with the quinoa flour because it is not a straight substitue for wheat flour.
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What is special about Quinoa?
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. Vegetarians all like it because it contains vatimins not found elsewhere and so fills in some of their protein gaps. Finally it releases its carbohydrates into the body very slowly so helps people with diabetes, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other dietary related diseases.
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