Quinoa

Chenopodium quinoa

Also known as Mother Grain, Chisiya Mama, Inca Rice, Andean Grain

At a glance

Family

Amaranthaceae (formerly placed in the goosefoot family, Chenopodiaceae)

Type

Annual pseudocereal, herbaceous plant

Parts used

Seeds (the grain), young leaves

Size

3 to 6 feet tall

Bloom

Small, dense clusters of greenish to deep red flowers in mid to late summer

Habitat

High Andean valleys and altiplano of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile, now cultivated in temperate regions worldwide

Acquisition

Grow or buy

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Complete plant protein

Naturally gluten-free

Rich in minerals

Steady, lasting energy

Traditional uses

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Quinoa was cultivated in the Andes for at least three thousand years, and the Inca held it in such regard that they called it chisiya mama, the mother grain, and opened each planting season with the emperor sowing the first seeds by hand with a golden implement. It served as a staple food across the mountains, valued for keeping farmers and travelers fed through long, thin-aired days at altitude where few other crops would grow. Beyond the seed, the young leaves were traditionally eaten as a leafy green much like its cousin lamb's quarters, and the bitter, soap-like coating on the raw seed was traditionally rubbed off and used as a simple cleanser. After the Spanish conquest, quinoa cultivation was suppressed in favor of European grains, and it survived largely in remote highland communities and home gardens until its recent return to tables around the world.

How to grow & use it

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✦ Growing guide
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Pairs well with

✦Mint
✦Cinnamon
✦Lemon balm

Substitutes

✦Amaranth
✦Millet

Did you know?

In 1996, NASA included quinoa in research on crops suited for long-duration space travel, largely because a single grain can supply all the essential amino acids the body needs, a rare feat in the plant world.

Safety

Quinoa is a safe, widely eaten food, but rinse it well before cooking, since the raw seed's outer coating contains bitter saponins that can cause stomach upset if not washed off. Most store-bought quinoa is already pre-rinsed.