From FatFree digest #264
> Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah), the so called super grain, is notable
> for its high protein content--16%-17% compared with 12%-14% for
> hard wheat. It contains more essential amino acids than other
> grains.
The bitter truth and how to sweeten your day:
Quinoa is not a grain, but a pigweed found in the high Andes.
(Chenopodium quinoa). The seeds are traditionally used as a
cereal in Peru and are pronounced "ke-chewa" by the locals.
From the Arrowhead Mills pamphlet about Quinoa:
"Freshly harvested from the seed, each quinoa seed is thickly
coated with a glossy varnish of dry, bitter, soap-like substances
called saponins. These natural soap compounds protect the seed
from predationby birds and insects. Most of these bitter saponins
have been removed from the seeds before it is sold to consumers,
but some traces always remain. Fortunately, these quinoa seedcoat
saponins are highly soluable in cold water and traces remaining on
the grain are easily rinsed away. The best method is to allow the
grains to presoak in standing water for five minutes, then rinse
in a strainer until the rinse water becomes free of foam and sudsy
froth."
Neal Pinckney <> Healing Heart Foundation <> Makaha, Hawaii <> AH6HM
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