Ten Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Quinoa

Quinoa, once you let it into your cupboard, has the capacity to constantly surprise you. Con-sider this chapter as a primer on just what you can expect from quinoa — namely the unex-pected. Its nutritious brawn is so impressive that the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) declared 2013 The Year of Quinoa! And to think that this super food nearly disappeared from the world in the 1500s and only held on because of its own tenacity, versatility, and endurance!

Its Soapy Saponins Can Be Used as a Detergent
Quinoa has a coating that you need to wash off. This coating — bitter tasting plant chemicals called saponins — is Mother Nature’s way of deterring birds and insects from eating the desir-able seeds. The bitter saponins look sudsy when rinsed away, and that’s not for nothing. They’re used as a clothing detergent by some people in South America, and they’re also used as an ingredient in some shampoos!

Because of its natural defenses against birds and insects, growing quinoa without the use of chemical pesticides is easier. For that reason, much of the quinoa you find available commercially is organic. Some quinoa comes packed with the saponins already washed off; you’ll see the word “prerinsed” on the package.

It Thrives at the Top of the World
Altiplano is tops — literally! Altiplano is a region of the Andes Mountains, occupying parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its average altitude is 12,000 feet, and it is home to what some consider the world’s highest quality quinoa. The quinoa grown in Altiplano is lighter in color and sweeter in flavor; many prefer it to the darker colors and slightly more bitter flavors of quinoa grown at lower altitudes.

In the U.S., most quinoa is grown in the Rocky Mountains, primarily in the San Luis Valley of Colorado, which is around 7,000 feet altitude and has a harsh climate similar to the Altiplano (though it’s not nearly as high). The area has very little precipitation and is very desertlike, making it the type of harsh climate where quinoa thrives.

It’s Colorful
Quinoa grows on magenta colored stalks that can reach 3 to 9 feet in height, with large seed heads. These seed heads come in many colors, from red, purple, and orange to green, black, and yellow.

The various colors have slight flavor differences, with the lighter quinoa being smoother and creamier, and the darker colors being more nutty. Red quinoa, in particular, became so popular that in 2011 the entire harvest was depleted, causing a worldwide shortage.

It’s Better than Your Average Sower
Quinoa is a prolific grower. Maybe beyond prolific. A mere half pound of seeds can plant a full acre — an area that could then produce up to 2,000 pounds of new seeds. Because of this, and the fact that it grows well on poor soil, quinoa was designated a “super crop” by the United Nations, owing to its capability to feed so many so efficiently. So your super food’s super powers go well beyond your personal nutrition.

It Nearly Disappeared in the 1500s
Quinoa actually came close to disappearing in the mid-1500s. That’s when a Spanish explorer named Francisco Pizarro is said to have destroyed vast swaths of quinoa fields in an effort to defeat the Incas, hitting them where it hurt most — in the stomach, by taking away their super food. After this purge, only small pockets of wild quinoa remained. These were rediscovered in the 1970s, leading to quinoa’s rebirth and welcome placement on our supermarket shelves.

NASA Wants to Grow It in Space
NASA has considered growing quinoa as a crop in “Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems” — that is, in space stations and the like — because of its nutritional value, ease of processing, and versatility.

It Makes a Great First Food for Baby
We know quinoa in an excellent source of complete of protein, but did you also know that it’s so easily digestible that it is considered an ideal first food for babies? Full of fiber and calcium as well, quinoa can be a perfect food for fragile and fickle young digestive systems because of its ease of digestion and the fact that there is a very low instance of allergic reactions to it.

It’s Kosher for Passover
Because it is neither a grain nor related to grains, quinoa is considered by many naturally kosher. Some rabbis prescribe certain harvest and shipping methods and question quinoa’s innate kosherness, though many accept it as a perfect solution to a carbohydrate sparse kosher feast. If you are in doubt, however, look for quinoas that are labeled certified kosher. 

It’s Drought Resistant
Quinoa is known to be drought resistant. In drought or droughtlike conditions, when surrounding crops may be failing, quinoa plants have actually been known to increase their yields. In fact, quinoa can grow and thrive with as little as 3 to 4 inches of annual rainfall.

It’s Not a Cereal or a Grain
Quinoa is a so called pseudo-cereal, which means it is not a grain or a cereal, but a nongrain with a grainlike nutrition profile. Clear as mud? Think of it this way: The quinoa plant, also known as goosefoot (you guessed it, for the pose it strikes on the soil), is related to beets, chards, and spinach.