Quinoa

Quinoa has been winding for several years. This seed originated in the plateaux of Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru and was revered by the Incas, who regarded it as the “mother of all seeds”. However, it has been relegated to oblivion since the introduction of wheat trade on the continent and its exceptional nutritional virtues have only been rediscovered and exported for several decades. Contrary to appearances, Chenopodium quinoa is not a grain! It actually belongs to the same family as spinach, peas, or beets. Botanists thus classify it in the category of “pseudo-cereals”, along with other plants such as sarrasin, for example.

Nutritional information
Quinoa is a fertilizer with exceptional nutritional qualities. This nutritious seed low in “bad” fats does not contain gluten (1)(2) and yet contains more protein (up to 15% per serving) than all feces. These proteins (3), or “essential amino acids”, are rarely produced naturally by the body and are mainly found in meat and dairy products. They are necessary for the protection of muscle and bone tissues and are essential for a balanced diet. (4) Quinoa can therefore be an ally of choice to supplement your menus if you are following a gluten-free or vegetarian diet. But that's not all!

Quinoa seed, when consumed whole, is highly concentrated in soluble fibers, which improve digestion and intestinal transit as a whole. You can give it to your young children with colic without a problem: quinoa is not an allergen and causes few intolerances. Consumption of soluble dietary fiber reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (5), by stabilizing blood sugar levels.

Quinoa is also filled with flavonoid antioxidants (6) such as quercetin or kaempferol, molecules known for their anti-inflammatory, antiviral and sometimes even antidepressant properties. Quercetine can even act as an antihistamine and significantly reduce the risk of asthma attacks! (7) In addition, by inducing the regulation of cholesterol in the blood, these antioxidants also help combat the most common cardiovascular diseases (8). Which will give a good boost to your health!

Cooking Quinoa
Quinoa is rarely refined, but it is important to ensure that you select a complete quinoa, and from organic farming (as far as possible!) in order to preserve all the benefits of the seed. Before preparing quinoa, it is important to rinse it thoroughly with cold water to avoid ingestion of saponin, a substance naturally present on the plant but that could give a bitter taste to your dish.

It is cooked very simply in water, in the same way as rice or pasta, for 15 minutes, until the grain is translucent. Quinoa has a rather neutral taste and can therefore be used as a basis for all kinds of recipes: for your creativity! In the form of tabulate, it can be as delicious with tomatoes, shrimp, and peppers as it can with seafood. Combine it, for example, with shrimp, coriander, ginger and confited lemons. You can also cook cookies on the pattern of the "rapee" by replacing the strawberries with quinoa. Taste it as sweet, with seasonal fruits or in the form of a “milk quinoa”. Quinoa flour (9) supplemented with maizena, which will give more structure to your creations, can serve as the basis for all your gluten-free dishes. Good appetite!