Plants

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition Further reading

quinoa

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

quinoa , tall annual herb ( Chenopodium quinoa ) of the family Chenopodiaceae ( goosefoot family), whose seeds have provided a staple food for peoples of the higher Andes since pre-Columbian times. The plant resembles the related lamb's-quarters of North America; its seeds are threshed, winnowed, and prepared like grain. Quinoa is eaten boiled like rice, used in soup or porridge, toasted in the form of tortillas, or mixed with wheat flour for bread. It is also used for poultry and livestock feed and is fermented to make an alcoholic beverage called chicha, more commonly made from corn. The foliage is used for salad greens. In the Inca Empire, where only the potato was more widely grown, quinoa is said to have been sacred; the year's first furrows were opened ceremoniously with a gold implement. Attempts to establish the crop outside its native habitat have been unsuccessful. Quinoa is classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Magnoliopsida, order Caryophyllales, family Chenopodiaceae.

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quinoa

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition | 2005 | | Copyright

quinoa Glutinous seeds of the south American plant Chenopodium album, used in Chile and Peru to make bread. A 100‐g portion is a rich source of iron and vitamin B₁; a good source of protein; a source of calcium, vitamin B₂, and niacin; supplies 350 kcal (1470 kJ).

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DAVID A. BENDER. "quinoa." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAVID A. BENDER. "quinoa." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-quinoa.html

DAVID A. BENDER. "quinoa." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-quinoa.html

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