In 2003, the first time Centennial author and Eliza Cross tried it was so unfamiliar that she pronounced it “kee-no-ah” when she read it from the menu.
Ten years later, she published whose alliterative title proves not only that she’s learned the correct pronunciation of the South American seed, but joined the progressive cooks who love it.
“For us, quinoa has become another staple, like rice or pasta, that I can go to for a weekday meal,” Cross said.
“There are times my son requests it now instead of rice.”
Before rice, corn and wheat became the default grains in our cupboards, people routinely ate diverse combinations of quinoa, amaranth, (a fruit seed related to rhubarb, not wheat), spelt, , millet, kamut, barley and .
Over the past few years, there’s been in — not rice, wheat or corn past its use-by date, but that once were the staples of human diets.
Restaurants are adding ancient grains to their menus. The offers . offer injera, the flatbread made from teff flour. There’s and and . In has a quinoa cake with manchego cheese and smoked paprika aioli on its tapas menu.
Choosing unrefined ancient grains, which typically are not genetically modified, instead of refined carbohydrates and cardiovascular disease.
Substituting one of those ancient grains for the rice in your stir-fry can boost your B vitamin and mineral intake, and add dietary fiber that can help you feel full without overeating. And some of those ancient grains — quinoa, amaranth, millet, sorghum, teff — also are gluten-free.
“Fiber content is where kamut, farro, barley, millet and other ancient grains differ from brown and white rice,” says Bonnie T. Jortberg, assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
“Brown rice has 2 grams of fiber per serving. Kamut has 4. Farro has 3. Barley has 6. The protein content is a little better. Kamut and farro both have 7 grams, and barley has 4, compared to 3 grams in brown rice, and less in white rice,” says Jortberg. “I encourage people to try new grains to see how they like them. If you like the taste and it’s not too expensive, I say, yeah, go for it.”
Ancient grains aren’t just nutritious. They taste good.
Often, they’re sweet, nutty and more filling than highly processed rice and wheat. The texture is meatier, so you’re less apt to wolf down a spoonful of cooked kamut than white rice.
A mouthful of millet, which tastes like roasted sweet corn, requires some chewing. Amaranth’s tiny grains hold a subtle honey flavor. Buckwheat flour transforms crêpes from dessert into dinner, adding heft and a robust earthiness.
And then there’s quinoa. Cooked, it bursts into a nodule that looks a little like a fish egg, and pops between the teeth like a pea or a kernel of sweet corn. It can be an acquired taste.
But the soapy, slightly bitter aftertaste that many people associate with quinoa is easy to avoid. The culprit: saponin, a thin, protective coating. Remove it by washing the uncooked quinoa at least twice — once in a bowl, and again in a strainer held under running water.
“Some quinoa is packaged as prewashed, but I always give it a good wash before I cook it,” Cross says.
“That makes all the difference. It won’t be bitter at all. It’ll be nutty, and have that creamy taste. Quinoa isn’t as persnickety as rice. If it doesn’t get cooked enough, you can cook it longer, and it won’t get sticky, like rice does.”
, a registered dietitian and owner of is another fan of whole grains.
“Generally speaking, whole grains contain fiber and minerals and antioxidants, and offer more options on getting variety into our diet,” Farrell said.
“Each is unique in its nutritional profile, so these grains — millet, farro and quinoa and others — contain all the . The bran, the germ, the endosperm. And these grains are a vehicle for getting more vegetables into your diet,” Farrell said. “Today, I came home for lunch, and I’m making quinoa and black beans with all the leftover vegetables from the refrigerator. I like the textural variety. Sometimes you’re in the mood for brown rice, and sometimes you’re in the mood for the texture of quinoa.”
Claire Martin: 303-954-1477, cmartin@denverpost.com or twitter.com/byclairemartin
Six steps to perfect quinoa
1. Rinse and repeat. This is the most important step, author Eliza Cross says: “The crucial secret to tasty quinoa is to rinse it really, really well before cooking to wash off the saponin, the soap-like coating that protects the grains.”
Pour uncooked quinoa into a bowl. Add water. Swish with your hands to remove the saponin.
Dump the wet quinoa in a fine-net strainer. Rinse it again under running water.
This will remove all traces of the saponin’s bitterness, and your quinoa will taste slightly sweet and nutty.
2. In a saucepan, using 1 part washed quinoa to two parts liquid, bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let it cook for about 15 minutes without stirring or peeking.
4. Sample: If the texture is chewy, cook it a few more minutes.
5. When you’re satisfied with the taste and texture, remove pan from heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Fluff: Use a fork to gently separate the seeds, fluffing the grains.
