Quinoa

I never had quinoa in my life until few months ago when my friend makes her well-famous quinoa salad with artichokes, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and dressing along with spring leaves. It caught my eyes to try that for a first time. I was so in HEAVEN and learned it was quinoa. I had learned that mostly of my friends use it part of their diet. It can be ANYTHING from breakfast (cereal with fruit and honey to dinner (casseroles, salad, stuffed peppers and etc).

Brief history

Incan folks had used quinoa of their diet more than 5,000 years (wish they had told us). They worship the quinoa and used it partly of their religious ceremonies. Even they called it as "Mother of the Grains". Incan emperor traditionally sow the first seeds of the season by using golden implements. No wonder that they called it as a "golden grain". When Europeans conquered South America. Spanish colonists used the quinoa to trade in with Indians as a "food". They will punish Incan folks if they try to grow quinoa. Incan folks were forced to grow corns instead and used the potatoes as their second nutrition in their diet. It has grown way up to the Equator to the United States and Canada. It has grown so popular due of nutty flavor and nutritious alternative to the rice, pasta and other grains.

It's gluten-free and easy to digest. It enriches with high proteins and iron even consist all nine essential amino acids and many mores. It also releasing slow-releasing carbonhydrates and maintain the blood sugar levels.

It's a great for folks who suffers glutens, migraine headaches, cardivascular problems and diabetes.

It comes in variety of colors- white, transparent yellow, orange, pink, red, purple and black.

But all I see was ivory white, red and black.

Ivory white- less earthier flavor

Red- slightly earthier flavor

Black- darker in color, crunchier in texture and stronger grain-like

Pre-rinsing vs rinsing quinoa:

Try to find a package containing seeds that had their waxy outer coating removed through rinsing or some other process ( Simple to look at the box says "pre-rinsing")

If you buy quinoa with its coating on then you have to do the rinsing. You need to rinse it vigorously in a strainer (make sure it has a smaller hole or something to prevent any seeds coming out while rinsing- you don't want to lose more seeds) then soak it for several hours in water then rinse it again.

Remember if you leave any behind of the coating, then it will lead bitterness because it consist saponins which it will taste terrible after cooked it.

How to cook quinoa?

Simply treat it as what you normally cook with the white rice. You can use the saucepan or rice cooker. For example: 1 cup quinoa then use 2 cups of water. Pretty simple and easy eh?

Bring the pan to a boil, cover and turn down the heat to a low simmer. Let it cook for 15 minutes then remove from the heat.

It should be slightly transparent tiny curl and fluffy.

Be creative by adding anything with your quinoa :D..

Now you know what quinoa is about. Hopefully you will including the quinoa into your diet.