Choice and Storage

Dry quinoa seeds, whether or not uncooked or processed, are available year-round in US shops. Since quinoa isn’t a traditional crop within the USA, it should be imported from Bolivia, Peru, and different South American international locations. Processed seeds are sometimes offered in hermetic packets and bulk bins.

Search for fantastic, dry grains roughly the dimensions of pearl millet. They arrive in varied colours, starting from creamy-white, pink, yellow to deep brown, relying on the cultivar selection.

At dwelling, retailer the grains in an hermetic container in a cool, dry place to maintain them contemporary for a number of months. Nevertheless, floor quinoa flour exposes its important fatty acids to environmental elements, which may result in fast lipid peroxidation and scale back its shelf life. Subsequently, grind it as wanted and retailer the flour in an hermetic container.

Preparation and serving strategies

Sopa de quinua- quinua soup. Photograph courtesy: Robert Luna

The unprocessed quinoa grain has a thick outer coat (hull) which makes it unsuitable for consumption and should be eliminated earlier than cooking. saponin that imparts a bitter, soapy style. Virtually all quinoa grains out there in US shops have been de-hulled and pre-washed.

At dwelling, wash in chilly water repeatedly till all of its foam disappears earlier than cooking. Quinoa is cooked in the identical manner as you prepare dinner different staples like buckwheat, rice, and many others. Roughly, one cup of dry grains cooks to a few cups. Cooked quinoa turns into fluffy, and chewy and attains pearl-like translucency and a pleasing style.

Listed below are some serving ideas:

• Combining quinoa flour with different cereal flours similar to maize, wheat, oats, and many others., enhances the general protein high quality of the meal, compensating for the restricted amino acid ranges in grains.

• Historically, native Andeans used quinoa seeds to arrange porridge and soup, and so they milled them into flour to make bread, porridge (lawa), buns, polenta, and non-alcoholic chilly drinks (quinua chicha).

• Elsewhere on this planet, quinoa grains are utilized in varied methods, much like different cereal grains, to make pilaf, porridge, flakes, puddings, and many others.

• Its flour may be utilized in quite a few methods to make bread, buns, desserts, pasta, noodles, cookies, biscuits, and many others.

• Younger, tender quinoa leaves (chiwa) and flower heads are additionally consumed as leafy greens and certainly make good salads, stews, and soups when combined with amaranth, spinach, and beet leaves.

• Chilly-pressed quinoa oil has develop into one of many sought-after as a dressing in addition to a cooking oil, changing rice bran or corn oils.

Security Profile

Unpolished (unwashed) quinoa seeds include saponin, a triterpenoid compound discovered of their outer cowl. Saponin has a bitter, soap-like style that, when consumed, might result in abdomen ache, flatulence, and laxative diarrhea. Naturally, this protecting protecting over the grains helps safeguard them from bugs and birds.

Quinoa leaves and flower heads include oxalic acid and must be blanched in boiling water earlier than consumption. (Medical disclaimer).

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Additional Assets:

1. FAO.

2. USDA.