Quinoa, a fresh idea from Incas

Did you know that Incas call quinoa “chisiya mama”, which in Quechua means "mother of all seeds"?

It is a plant native to the Andes, precisely around Lake Titicaca, between Peru and Bolivia. The term quinoa derives from “Quechua”, a language spoken by the Incas. Basic food of the pre-Columbian populations, it was considered a sacred plant by the Incas, so much so that the sowing of the first grains was accompanied by a real ceremony.

Particularly suitable for gluten-free diets (it is naturally gluten-free), vegetarian or vegan (it is an excellent source of vegetable protein), quinoa is extremely versatile: it can in fact be used for both sweet and savory recipes. There are three varieties of quinoa depending on the color of the beans: white, red and black. The white one looks a lot like couscous and is the most used. The taste of the three types indicated is almost the same, but the red quality is the one that best retains its shape after cooking.

Before cooking it, it is necessary to rinse it abundantly with water using a colander with very small holes. This operation will help improve the taste since the seeds contain saponin, which is thus eliminated. To cook the amount of one cup of quinoa we will need two cups of water. It must boil for 15 minutes until the water has evaporated. The grain is ready when it becomes translucent and the small membrane that surrounds it is completely detached. Quinoa can be used instead of rice or couscous as an accompaniment to meat, fish or vegetables. It can also be simply seasoned with a little chicken broth, a knob of butter or olive oil, salt, pepper and some herbs or spices according to taste. It can be eaten both hot and cold in salads or as a single dish. And if we want to eat it for breakfast, we can prepare tasty cookies or pancakes by adding rice and almond flour to the quinoa.

We seasoned white quinoa with our seafood sauce or with mustard and shrimps

But it is also perfect for a gluten free Taboulleh

Or for our eggplants di and quinoa meatballs!