Monday, October 12, 2009

Quinoa




Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthful choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.[4] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.

Quinoa can be prepared just like rice. I like to cook mine in a rice cooker... so if you are sick of brownrice, give it a try...I just purchased some from Costco!

2 comments:

DeDee said...

Do you rinse yours first? Also, I have a recipe for the Inca Red Quinoa, if you're interested.

Mike said...

I don't rinse it...I just figure the rice cooker will kill any bugs or germs or it will just add more protein... Please send the recipe!