Grains, rice & flours · Whole grains

Quinoa

Small, round Andean seeds that cook in about 15 minutes into fluffy grains with a little curled tail; naturally gluten-free.

Also called: kinwa, kinoa

2 recipes with it

Photo: Pom², via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Quinoa is the seed of a plant related to spinach and beet, cooked and eaten like a grain. Seeds are white, red or black; red and black stay firmer. As it cooks the germ separates and shows as a pale spiral thread. The seeds are coated in bitter saponins; most is pre-washed, but rinsing is still wise.

Chenopodium quinoa

How it’s used

Grain salads and bowls
Side dish in place of rice or couscous
Stuffed peppers
Andean soups and porridges
Quinoa flakes in porridge

Characteristics

Taste: Mildly nutty, faintly grassy; bitter if not rinsed.
Texture: Light, with a slight pop.
When cooked: Rinse, then simmer in about twice its volume of water for 12–15 minutes and rest covered.
Sold as: whole, flakes, ground
Cooking uses: Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling
Common in: Peruvian, Bolivian, Ecuadorian, Chilean, American, International