The ancient Incan crop Quinoa (Keen-wah) is so nutritious that it can substitute for meat (great news for vegetarians). Unlike other grains, it doesn't need to be combined with other foods to form complete proteins.What was a sacred crop to the Incas has been classified as a "super crop" by the United Nations because of its high protein content. It is a complete protein, which means it has all nine essential amino acids. It also contains the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair, and is a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorous.
While many think of quinoa as a grain, the yellowish pods are actually the seed of a plant called chenopodium quinoa, native to Peru and related to beets, chard and spinach. The plant resembles spinach, but with 3- to 9-foot stalks that take on a magenta hue. The large seed heads make up nearly half the plant and vary in color: red, purple, pink and yellow.
In the Andes Mountains, where they have been growing for more than 5,000 years, quinoa plants have overcome the challenges of high altitude, intense heat, freezing temperatures and little annual rainfall. Peru and Bolivia maintain seed banks with 1,800 types of quinoa. It has been grown in the U.S. since the 1980s, when two farmers began cultivating it in Colorado.
The Spaniards, in their conquest of the Inca, took potatoes and corn back to the Old World. They burned the Quinoa crops, not understanding it's nutritional importance. Many Inca starved, but the plant survived in the Andes and has been rediscovered and praised by the United Nations. This food can feed the world.
Once again, we must marvel at the horticultural skills of the ancient Amerinds.
