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I was introduced to quinoa (KEEN-wa) this Summer by my friend Shanna. Quinoa is a South American grain that was much prized by the Incas and was their "Mother Grain". Ok, technically it is not really a cereal grain but the seeds of an herbaceous plant of the goosefoot family, which includes beets and spinach. It is, however, prepared and eaten like a grain.
The seeds are about 2mm in diameter and when cooked, the germ forms a cute little spiral tail. Quinoa not only has the highest protein content (around 16%) of any grain, but also has all of the essential amino acids in an almost ideal ratio. This is obviously a great boon for vegetarians, which I am not.
The taste is a little nutty, but otherwise grainlike. The texture can vary depending on how long you cook it, but generally the germ provides an agreeable little crunch. I've become particularly fond of quinoa, bean, and cheese burritos but the quinoa pilaf I made was also pretty good.
It should be available at any health food store (or upscale market) and I highly recommend it. Like any intact whole grain, there is some fat content (mostly polyunsaturated in this case) so I recommend storing it tightly sealed in the fridge. Also make sure you rinse it well before cooking to remove the bitter saponin coating.
Have I mentioned that I'm a food information junkie?
The seeds are about 2mm in diameter and when cooked, the germ forms a cute little spiral tail. Quinoa not only has the highest protein content (around 16%) of any grain, but also has all of the essential amino acids in an almost ideal ratio. This is obviously a great boon for vegetarians, which I am not.
The taste is a little nutty, but otherwise grainlike. The texture can vary depending on how long you cook it, but generally the germ provides an agreeable little crunch. I've become particularly fond of quinoa, bean, and cheese burritos but the quinoa pilaf I made was also pretty good.
It should be available at any health food store (or upscale market) and I highly recommend it. Like any intact whole grain, there is some fat content (mostly polyunsaturated in this case) so I recommend storing it tightly sealed in the fridge. Also make sure you rinse it well before cooking to remove the bitter saponin coating.
Have I mentioned that I'm a food information junkie?
