Quinoa played a fundamental role in the early Andes farming societies, and later became equally important in the Incan empire. During their campaign of conquest, the Incas were able to feed themselves and conquered tribes with the excellent nutrition provided in quinoa. The Incan word for quinoa was chisiya mama, meaning “mother grain”, after its life-giving properties. It was used in fertility ceremonies each year, when the King would plant the first seeds of the season, and quinoa-filled golden vessels were offered to the gods.

The nutritive properties of quinoa have given it the title of “supergrain.” Of primary importance, quinoa is gluten-free, and contains none of the allergens common to grains from the grass family such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, and corn. Furthermore, quinoa contains lysine, an amino acid deficient in many grains, making it a complete protein. Quinoa is also an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and B vitamins.

So why is quinoa not widely eaten in today’s world?
One of the reasons is that it thrives at altitudes of 10,000 feet above sea level and higher. There aren’t many major farms this high! Its unique growing conditions are believed to result in quinoa’s impressive nutritional profile. It thrives in drought conditions, loves the thin atmosphere and increased solar radiation, grows during temperature fluctuations between hot and sub-freezing, and flourishes in sandy, alkaline soils that are avoided like the plague by any other crop foods. Much like the mysterious Incas, quinoa remains shrouded to many people across the world. Nevertheless, Bolivia produces enough surplus quinoa to export, and it can be found in most specialty markets worldwide.

We give quinoa a few thumbs up as one of the good guys of the grain family. With its low glycemic index, high nutritive value, high fiber content, and complete protein, quinoa is definitely a super food you should find room for in your menu.

A group of people settled into a village near a perennial spring providing abundant water – an oasis surrounded by a craggy desert. These people used their intimate knowledge of local plant life to begin farming grains in the fertile soils rather than just harvesting them. Occupants at this village, which would later come to be known as Jericho, were thus
some of the earliest farmers in the world, marking a watershed event in the human endeavor.

Using hybrid forms of local grasses to select for larger grains that were easier to harvest, occupants in the Fertile Crescent made the shift from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic as they began farming fields of wheat, barley, rye, and oats. With technological advancements such as irrigation, these cereal grains provided enormous surplus the likes of which were never before known during the enormous antiquity of mankind. Surplus food became the equivalent of currency, and people who were able to control redistribution began profiting. Wealth and prosperity allowed people to settle into population centers of 5000 or more, with government and religious centers, mansions, apartments, and bazaars.

It was because of this co-evolutionary relationship between humans and grasses that the first civilizations arose at places like Eridu and Uruk in Mesopotamia, giving rise to the first science, universities, religious institutions, and literature. It also heralded the first organized warfare, deadly plagues, terrorism, and other unfavorable outcomes of human greed. Truly a devil’s bargain.

The Neolithic Revolution was not confined to the Fertile Crescent. During a relatively brief period, people across the world began farming local varieties of grain-yielding grasses. In some cases, people adopted farming from their neighbors. In other cases it was a completely independent process. Over a period of 4000 years (which is fleeting compared to the millions of years that we have been on this earth), cereals were domesticated in the Near East, Africa, and Europe, rice and millet were domesticated in Asia, and a host of local plants were domesticated in the Americas. When people think of American domesticates, maize (corn) immediately takes the spotlight. Maize was domesticated from – you guessed it – a grass. Specifically a tropical grass known as teosinte which is found in parts of Central and South America.

Quinoa can be cooked in bulk and added to recipes as needed at a later point. To cook quinoa, use a ratio of 2:1 for water to quinoa. So if you want to cook 2 cups of dry quinoa, use 4 cups of water. First bring the water to a rolling boil in a pot with a tight-fitting lid, and then add the quinoa. Cover and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 12 minutes, or just until the remaining liquid is entirely absorbed. Stir the quinoa with a fork and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.