WIKIPED-ing "QUINOA"

I chanced upon this interesting looking salad in the Cedele bakery/café near our place called the Quinoa & Chickpea Salad. I was not entirely sure what it was but it looked like a green version of the coucous so I decided to try it out.
I ate it without knowing what it was exactly but how it tasted really caught me by surprise! It was al dente like pasta but had a rich wheaty, grain-like flavour and yet somehow was softly infused with the flavour of the light sauce/seasoning that drizzled the salad. Never mind that it looked weird and “green-y” (literally, since it was green…and my husband thinks it looks weird – worse, he thinks it will start moving anytime! Yuck, not a very appetizing description!) – I was officially hooked from the first moment I tasted it.
So for lack of my own words to describe what it is exactly, in the middle of my meal, I stood up and googled it – or more appropriately, I wikipeed it…so here it goes, folks:

“Quinoa Spanish quinua, from Quechua kinwa, a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a grass. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach and tumbleweeds”

“THE COMMERCIAL AVAILABILITY OF IT THOUGH IS CURRENTLY LIMITED” – the write up said. Just wondering though cause my friend Caroline said I could buy the raw ones from this store in Tanglin Mall…hmmm….must be not so limited after all (or maybe it’s just the case here in Singapore where you can buy almost everything and anything albeit at a cost)

It goes on to say:
"Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where it has been an important food for 6,000 years. Its name is the Spanish spelling of the Quechua name.”

I was very interested to find out though that the Incas considered the crop as sacred.
Now for the good part:
NUTRIONAL VALUE
"Quinoa was of great nutritional importance in pre-Columbian Andean civilizations, being secondary only to the potato, and was followed in importance by maize. In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%), making it a healthful choice for vegetarians and vegans. Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorous and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.”

Ha! Get that last bit! I can so be an astronaut if this all they get to eat!

So, that’s Quinoa 101 for me from a very reliable source J
I love it! And I think I will be eating more of it. Apart from the fact that it’s healthy, easy to digest and not rice, it is incredibly filling!

Note: By the way, not only does Cedele serve this but it also serves really good organic and healthy food. No trans-fat, organic sugar, grapeseed oil - this is definitely one of my favorite restaurants here in Singapore!
They have a bigger restaurant on Wheelock place but I have seen smaller deli-like or café-like stores in United Square and Novena Square. I know they also have outlets in Millenia Walk, Tanglin Mall, Raffles City just to name a few. Check them out…the food is great!