The Incas knew that Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) helped to increase the stamina of their warriors. In fact, the Spanish Conquistadors, in an effort to control South America (this was way before your time, actually before the time of anyone able to read this blog), destroyed quinoa fields. At one time it was almost extinct! If this tasty stuff is worth such a fuss, maybe we should give it a try.
Quinoa looks like a grain, but in fact it’s a seed that's packed with all 9 amino acids (meaning it delivers in the protein department). It's also chock full of magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus, all of which are thought to be helpful for people troubled by migraines, diabetes and heart issues.
Today’s illustration shows uncooked red and white quinoa seeds ( it also comes in pink, orange, purple and black- though I have yet to see those). I recommend starting with the white, which has a milder flavor than the red (both are delicious and nutty). Quinoa is not cheap, but given all the nutrients that are packed into each tiny seed and the fact that it will expand to at least twice its size when cooked, this is a solid case of ‘good things come in small packages’.
Someone should have tipped off those Conquistadors. Instead of searching for gold, they should have been harvesting this seed with a wealth of goodness.
Next blog we’ll skip the history lesson and get down to cooking!
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