Food Ticket: eat your way to Peru with quinoa

It might often be referred to as the mother of grains, but quinoa is, in fact, not exactly a grain. It is one of six pseudo-grains or pseudo-cereals; true cereal grains are the seeds of grasses, while pseudo-grains like quinoa are harvest from leafy plants. Though botanically different, pseudo-cereals are treated like cereal grains because of their similar makeup and nutrition content. 

You’ll commonly find white, red, and black quinoa. There are slight differences between the colours like cook time, flavour, and texture. White quinoa – which is the most common – cooks the quickest, is milder in flavour and softer in texture.  

Quinoa is a complete protein, and one of the only plant based foods that provide all nine of the essential amino acids that the human body requires.

It is the perfect gluten-free replacement for other grains, and can be used in a multitude of ways including granola, stuffing, breads and pasta, quinoa fried rice, quinoa porridge or pudding, quinoa salad, quinoa veggie patties, soups – the possibilities are honestly endless. It’s also a common ingredient in packaged food and even skincare products. 

It’s a great alternative to rice if you’re looking to switch things up. Soak your quinoa ahead of time (anywhere from two hours to overnight) to help remove the naturally occurring phytic acid – this will make it easier to digest as well as speed up the cooking time. Click here to learn more about this super grain and the benefits of superfoods. Pick up Peruvian quinoa at your neighbourhood health food store or via online platforms including FairPrice, Cedele, Nature's Nutrition, and more.