Graine, céréale, ou légume ? – A cause de sa similarité avec le riz, ou encore la semoule, le quinoa est souvent considéré comme une céréale. Or, ce n’est pas le cas. C’est bel et bien un légume de la famille des légumes à feuille , comme les épinards. 
Au final, le quinoa est un légume dont nous consommons généralement les graines. 
Voilà à quoi ressemble le quinoa à l’état naturel : 
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How to cook quinoa?
INSTRUCTIUNI –
- Se spala quinoa foarte bine 2-3 minute sub jetul de apa, ori intr-un castron, schimbandu-i apa pana ramane curata.
- Se pune la fiert. La o masura de quinoa se folosesc doua masuri de apa. Se adauga sare si se fierbe la foc moderat intre 12-15 minute.
- Legumele eu le-am fiert la abur si au durat tot 12-15 minute
- Dupa ce s-au racit putin, se amesteca quinoa cu legumele. Se potriveste de sare piper (sau orice alt condiment mai doriti) Curcuma am folosit doar un varf de lingurita.
Is quinoa a grain?
What Is Quinoa? – Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah ) is the seed of the Chenopodium quinoa plant. Botanically speaking, it’s not a grain. However, it’s often called a “pseudograin” because it’s similar in nutrients and eaten the same way as cereal grains ( 1 ).
Quinoa was first grown for food 7,000 years ago in the Andes. The Incas called it “the mother grain” and believed it was sacred ( 2 ). Although it’s now grown around the world, the majority is still produced in Bolivia and Peru.
It was largely unknown to the rest of the world until very recently ( 1 ). Since then, it has experienced a huge surge in popularity because of its high nutrient content and health benefits. It is also easy to grow in a range of conditions. In fact, the year 2013 was named “The International Year of Quinoa” by the UN because of its valuable qualities and potential to fight world hunger.
- Quinoa is also popular because it’s a gluten-free grain;
- This means people with celiac disease, wheat allergies or those who avoid gluten can consume it;
- Bottom Line: Quinoa is a seed classified as a pseudograin;
Nutritionally, it is considered to be a whole grain and is also gluten-free.
What does a quinoa plant look like?
Description [ edit ] – Chenopodium quinoa is a dicotyledonous annual plant , usually about 1–2 m (3–7 ft) high. It has broad, generally powdery, hairy, lobed leaves, normally arranged alternately. The woody central stem is branched or unbranched depending on the variety and may be green, red or purple.
The flowering panicles arise from the top of the plant or from leaf axils along the stem. Each panicle has a central axis from which a secondary axis emerges either with flowers (amaranthiform) or bearing a tertiary axis carrying the flowers (glomeruliform).
These are small, incomplete, sessile flowers of the same colour as the sepals, and both pistillate and perfect forms occur. Pistillate flowers are generally located at the proximal end of the glomeruli and the perfect ones at the distal end of it. A perfect flower has five sepals, five anthers and a superior ovary, from which two to three stigmatic branches emerge.
The green hypogynous flowers have a simple perianth and are generally self-fertilizing , though cross-pollination occurs. In the natural environment, betalains serve to attract animals to generate a greater rate of pollination and ensure, or improve, seed dissemination.
The fruits (seeds) are about 2 mm ( 1 ⁄ 16 in) in diameter and of various colors — from white to red or black, depending on the cultivar. In regards to the “newly” developed salinity resistance of C. quinoa , some studies have concluded that accumulation of organic osmolytes plays a dual role for the species.
They provide osmotic adjustment, in addition to protection against oxidative stress of the photosynthetic structures in developing leaves. Studies also suggested that reduction in stomatal density in reaction to salinity levels represents an essential instrument of defence to optimize water use efficiency under the given conditions to which it may be exposed.
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What is quinoa called in Bolivia?
Chenopodium quinoa near Cachilaya, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia Quinoa ( Chenopodium quinoa; / ˈkiːn. wɑː, kiˈnoʊ. ə /, from Quechua kinwa or kinuwa) is a flowering plant in the amaranth family.
