Berkeley Student Food Collective

Quinoa… quin-what?

What is quinoa?

Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is one of the latest stars in health food trends. The plant looks like a grain, but it’s not a grass. It actually is related to beets, spinach, and tumbleweed (source: Wikipedia), but has comparable nutrient composition to whole grains.

There are many varieties of quinoa, but only three types are cultivated. White quinoa is the most popular, and has a sweet flavor. Then there is red quinoa and black quinoa. All types have a slightly nutty flavor and when cooked are fluffy and can have a pleasant “crunch.”

Besides being super delicious, quinoa is incredibly easy to make, and can be used in pretty much everything - breakfast, lunch, dinner, even dessert. Use it to replace rice in your recipes for a huge punch of protein, calcium, iron, and all essential amino acids. Each little “grain” of quinoa is especially dense in nutrients, and the seeds are all gluten-free. Quinoa has low-sodium levels, and provides valuable fiber and starch (source: Chet Day).

Because quinoa is so versatile, try it as a side to veggies, in a salad, mixed into pancakes or muffins, instead of rice, or simply go wild and experiment!

How to cook quinoa

Basic recipe:

1 cup of quinoa
1 1/2 cup of water
salt (optional)

Rinse quinoa under cold water to get rid of the bitter-tasting saponins. Drain well. In a pot, bring quinoa and water to a boil, then reduce heat, cover tightly with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove quinoa from heat, let sit for 5 minutes with lid on, and then fluff lightly with a fork.

Some awesome quinoa recipes

Quinoa salad with chickpeas, kalamata olives, and mint

Southwest quinoa patties with avocado sauce

Gluten-free quinoa buttermilk patties

Fava bean and quinoa salad

Mango blueberry quinoa salad

Mushroom and asparagus warm quinoa

Broccoli quinoa casserole

Lime and cilantro quinoa salad

Globalization as a good thing or bad thing?

Even though it’s a great thing that more and more Americans are buying healthy, nutrient-rich quinoa, the food trend does have its downsides. Quinoa is an ancient crop that has been cultivated for centuries in Bolivia and Peru, and the rising demand for quinoa has driven crop prices up beyond the affordability of local peoples. Fewer Bolivians and Peruvians are now able to afford quinoa, causing them to turn instead to cheaper processed foods.

At supermarkets in Bolivia, a 1000-gram bag of quinoa costs the equivalent of $4.85, whereas a bag of noodles of the same weight costs $1.20, and a bag of white rice only $1.00. Climbing prices are not only contributing to an inability to afford a basic crop that has been consumed for hundreds of generations, but also to the younger generations of Bolivians’ increased consumption of unhealthy processed foods and changing taste preferences (source: NY Times).

Stop by the Berkeley Student Food Collective to pick up your quinoa!

Quinoa is a great, healthy, and super nutritious food to add to your diet. It’s super easy to make, and works as either a side or the featured main dish in your meal. As always, stay cognizant of how your eating practices may affect global markets and cultures, and make your dietary choices accordingly; awareness always solves problems better than ignorance.

Go ahead, try this superfood!