Quinoa (pronounced "KEEN-wah") means "mother" in the ancient Quechua language of the Inca Indians. In Inca culture, quinoa held a sacred status, both spiritually and nutritionally, as the "mother grain." Targeted by Spanish conquistadores as they went about their largely-successful attempt to obliterate native cultures in the New World, the quinoa crop was practically wiped out. But some strains survived in the remote high plains of the Andes, and today quinoa is having a resurgence. In North America, especially, it is being "discovered" as a good source of protein, iron, and calcium for our modern day diets.

Quinoa is now grown in North America in the high regions of California, Colorado, and western Canada. But it hasn't been forgotten on its home turf. The Aymara Indians of Bolivia still use the entire plant: toasting and/or cooking the seeds (or grinding them into flour for tortillas), eating the leaves as a vegetable or feeding them to livestock, using the stalks as kindling for fuel, and even converting the water left after soaking the seeds into shampoo!

Botanically, quinoa is not a true grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. Rather, it belongs to the goosefoot family, which also includes spinach, beets, and chard. Best grown at altitudes in excess of 10,000 feet, quinoa flourishes under rough conditions (poor soil, cold/thin air, drought, etc.), which may explain its seemingly miraculous survival. There are hundreds of varieties of quinoa, and it comes in many colors. The kind we are most familiar with looks like a tiny version of millet. When quinoa is cooked, the thin band surrounding it partially separates, giving each particle a little halo. It is very ethereal and pretty.

Culinarily Speaking: Quinoa cooks quickly and easily. Rinse it first, to wash off the resudue of its bitter coating. Then cook in a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part dry grains. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes. When it is tender, fluff it with a fork to let steam escape and to keep the grains fluffy and separate.

Because quinoa has a strong, slightly bitter flavor, I recommend combining it with other grains (or with other ingredients, as in Green Salad with Quinoa), rather than serving it solo.

Nutritionally Speaking: Quinoa is one of the best vegan sources of high-quality protein (highest of all grains), has more calcium than milk, and is rich in iron and other minerals.