Whether you pronounce it kwuh-NO-uh or KWIN-wah, quinoa is definitely flying high. This South American plant from the Andes has been a staple food for thousands of years. It is often referred to as Gold of the Incas, Inca rice or Peruvian rice. It’s rise in popularity is due to its classification as a glutenfree superfood, justified because of its high protein content. It has twice the protein of rice or barley, plus a rich array of minerals and vitamins.
Strictly speaking, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is not a cereal, but a vegetable related to spinach and beets. It produces seed, not grain. Unusually, its seed is coated in a sticky yellow, bitter-tasting substance called saponin. This gives great protection against birds, but means that the seed has to be soaked and rinsed prior to cooking. Then it’s cooked like rice. Newly harvested seeds are yellow due to the saponin, but they become white when washed.
Mention quinoa and the first thing growers say is “it’s tricky” and then they talk about weeds. So is it worth growing quinoa on a smallholding? Actually, the crop copes well with the UK climate. The plants need moisture to get established, but once away they prove to be quite resilient as their deep tap roots extend 1.5m or more. If you’re just looking to grow some for personal use, then it’s easy to establish a small crop on an allotment or in the corner of a field. Some enterprising market gardens are growing it on a small scale for veg boxes and farm shops. On a larger scale, given the need to control weeds, combine and dry the crop, you’ll need an area of at least 3-5ha to make it worthwhile.
ALLOTMENT QUINOA
I first grew quinoa 15 years ago as part of a game cover crop. Since then I have grown it on a small scale with success. You can buy seed from many of the specialist seed suppliers.
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