Quinoa
Although often mistakenly considered a cereal grain, Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is actually a seed of a plant in the goosefoot family that happens to cook like a grain. As it is a member of the goosefoot family, it is related to beets, spinach and chard. This, along with the lack of gluten, makes it a great alternative to the cereal grains, which are avoided in many restricted diets.
Nutritional Value
Quinoa is high in protein, containing 12-18% protein. It also has balanced amounts of amino acids, is high in dietary fiber and other nutrients. Quinoa is also high in carbohydrates - nearly double the amount in wheat.
Cooking
In many ways, quinoa behaves similar to rice when cooked. However, unlike rice, quinoa contains less carbohydrates and contains more protein which will causes differences in cooking times for rice and quinoa (quinoa cooks faster).
Also, quinoa flour provides a great substitute for wheat flours. Although it lacks gluten, it has a more consistent nature than rice flour does (or other gluten free flours). This makes it a great choice for baked goods and breading.
Trivia
The Incas held quinoa to be sacred - even calling it the mother of all grains. This made it even more important than corn in that culture.
