Quinoa, Tri-colored

Our tri-colored quinoa is the processed seed of a plant native to the Andes. It is a grain closely related to both amaranth and spinach. It has gone from relatively unknown in the US, to fad, to healthy staple in the last couple decades. Used to be we had to decipher odd pronunciations on a regular basis, but now most folks know its pronounced ‘keen-wah’.

Quinoa’s rise in popularity makes perfect sense. It’s a great source of protein, it’s low in fat, and it’s full of manganese and phosphorous. Perhaps most crucial to its recent ascent in public awareness is the fact that it’s gluten free.

Our tri-colored blend is a combination of red, black and white (or golden) quinoas. All three colors behave the same, so cooking them together is no problem. Quinoa cooks to a fairly fluffy texture and has a very mild but somewhat nutty flavor. It works well as a bed for a salmon filet, adds nice body to soups, and livens up a salad. It does all this while providing good nutrition and not overwhelming the other flavors it’s paired with.