Quinoa

Quinoa, pseudo-grain, is mainly grown for its edible seeds. It is a “superfood”, considered as the most nutritious grain in the world and considered by the Incas to be “the mother of all grains.” The Incas began to cultivate quinoa over 5,000 years ago believing that it gave power and stamina to their warriors.

Quinoa can be classified according to its saponin concentrations as either “sweet” (saponin free or having less than 0.11% saponins) or “bitter” (containing more than 0.11% saponins).

The saponins in Quinoa represent the major anti-nutritional factor found in the grain. However, most of these saponins are concentrated in the outer layers of the grain, which facilitates their removal industrially by abrasive dehulling or traditionally by washing the grains with water.

2013 was recognized as “The International Year of the Quinoa” by the FAO and it had declared quinoa as a food with “high nutritive value” having an important role to play in the achievement of food security worldwide.

“While no single food can supply all the essential life-sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom.”

NASA has proposed as an ideal food for long-duration space flights.

In times of drought, when other crops in quinoa-growing areas fail, quinoa can actually increase its yields. The crop can thrive on as little as three to four inches of annual rainfall.