A grain crop that is packed with nutrients. In contrast to cereal crops like wheat, barley, and other grains that see use in the human diet, quinoa is what is called a pseudocereal. Technically speaking, quinoa is not a cereal as it is not a grass. The food that we call quinoa refers to the seeds of the quinoa plant. The plant itself is in the amaranth plant family. The food comes in a few varieties, the most popular being red, white, and black.

Referring to the first comment, quinoa is high in fiber, gluten free, a good source of B vitamins, a good source of minerals such as Magnesium, and packed with protein. It is also a good source of folate. Lastly, quinoa contains many other compounds; one of those compounds is quercetin, and there have been studies that indicate that the quercetin in quinoa could affect the intestinal microbiomes of people and improve an individual’s intestinal morphology. More studies are being done on these potential effects.

The crop’s origins can be traced back to South America, mostly Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Through selective breeding, quinoa has changed a lot over the years, such as a greater tolerance for salinity. Perhaps the civilization that quinoa played the largest role in is the Incas. However, with the destruction of many quinoa fields at the hands of Francisco Pizarro, cultivation retreated to relatively isolated areas at higher altitudes, such as the Andean highlands. Though the ancient grain would enjoy relative obscurity for the following few centuries (almost disappearing in the 1940s), quinoa caught the interest of some agronomists and nutrition scientists in the 1970s. Starting in the early 2000s, quinoa began to gain traction as a potential superfood, a project that can be traced back to work from The Quinoa Corporation; the corporation’s work began in earnest in 1983.

Fun fact: The Quinoa Corporation was acquired by SACO Foods.