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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Neighborhoods Employment Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend November 8, 2006 Quinoa: A quick, tasty whole grain By REBECCA WOOD for the Mail Tribune As a whole grain, it's hard to beat quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah). It's quick cooking, flavorful and easy to digest. When cooked, quinoa looks something like fluffy couscous. It is meltingly soft, except for the wispy germ filaments that provide a pleasing little crunch (unless overcooked). Once the sacred grain of the Incas, quinoa contains up to 20 percent protein. The United Nations World Health Organization observes that quinoa is closer to the ideal protein balance than any other grain, being at least equal to milk in protein quality. In 1982, I took my first bite of quinoa and was hooked. In fact, so hooked that a few years later I traveled to Peru and Bolivia to research my book "Quinoa: The Supergrain." There I fell in love with the stark and dramatic altiplano country, its people, and their foods, especially their sacred mother grain, quinoa. Chances are the mellow taste of quinoa will also delight you. Unlike wheat, rice, corn and the other common grains, which are members of the grass family, quinoa is a member of the goosefoot family and a relative of beets. It is a non-allergenic grain. For thousands of years, the tiny grains of quinoa were a staple throughout the Andes region from its northernmost reaches in Ecuador to the very southern tip of Chile. The Incas not only relied upon it, they revered quinoa. In a highly symbolic ritual, their ruler's chief function was to ceremoniously plant the first quinoa seed with his symbol of state, a golden spade. Advertisement While the Incan civilization is usually remembered for its archaeological remains. What has remained with me is that, for them, hunger was unknown. An extensive storage and road system spread throughout the vast Incan empire. Public storehouses held quinoa, dried potatoes and chiles that were distributed to all during times of shortage. When the Spaniards conquered the Incas in the 16th century, they virtually destroyed this well-developed civilization in just one year. Nutritionally inferior barley and wheat became upper class staples and soon flourished in former quinoa terraces. Quinoa became associated with poverty, illiteracy and chicken feed. Today the Aymara and the Quechua peoples, the remains of the once proud Incas, depend upon costly imported, refined and nutritionally inferior noodles and rice. At the time of my visit, the Indians believed that if they feed quinoa to their hungry children, it will make them stupid. (The astonishingly high Indian infant mortality rate in Bolivia was 30 percent!) Fortunately today, well-placed pride in their native grain is resurfacing as quinoa's value on the world market grows. Quinoa is a spectacular plant that I've grown in my backyard garden. The leafy 5-foot-high plant looks something like sorghum when green, but at harvest it is a flamboyant fuchsia. The heavily laden seed heads are a boggling color display — orange, red, ivory, purple, yellow, green, ocher, rose, lavender and black. The quinoa seed typically available in the United States is buff-yellow in color. As a whole grain, you can purchase it boxed or in bulk. It's also available in flakes, pasta, milled into flour and in cold breakfast cereals. Freely substitute quinoa for rice in pilafs, soups and stir fries. For a comforting and nutritious "rice" pudding, substitute quinoa for the rice. Serve quinoa as a grain side dish to accompany any meal. Rebecca Wood is a Julia Child award-wining cookbook author who, for over 30 years, has taught whole foods cookery throughout the United States and in Europe. To ask a question, find a recipe, see her class schedule, or post your comment about this article, visit: www.AshlandCooking.com RECIPE: STEAMED QUINOA AND VARIATIONS 2 cups stock or water 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 clover garlic, minced 1 tablespoon ghee, or unrefined olive, sesame or palm oil 1 cup quinoa, rinsed until the water runs clear Combine the stock, salt, pepper, garlic and fat in a 1-quart saucepan over high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Or prepare in a rice cooker according to the manufacturer's directions. Add the quinoa, cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 12 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed. The grain should be translucent and its thin germ curlicue white. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Makes 21„2 to 3 cups cooked quinoa. VARIATIONS: Breakfast Quinoa — For a creamy breakfast cereal, omit the garlic and add 2 tablespoons raisins, 1 cinnamon stick and 1„2 teaspoon grated orange zest. Increase the liquid to 3 cups and the cooking time to 20 minutes. Savory Quinoa — Add a minced shallot or onion along with the quinoa. Season cooked quinoa with one tablespoon minced fresh herbs such as basil, dill, fennel, oregano, parsley, tarragon or thyme. Crunchy Quinoa — Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of toasted sesame, sunflower or pumpkin seeds at the beginning of cooking (for a softer texture) or stir into the cooked grain (for a crunchier texture). Saffron Quinoa — Add 1„16 teaspoon saffron threads to the water. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing GMAT Prep Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com