AMARANTH

Another South American superstar, amaranth was prized by the Aztecs and cultivated for more than 8000 years. They believed it had supernatural powers and used it in their rituals until the Spanish conquistadors arrived and considered this practice un-Christian, banning the cultivation of amaranth. But it continued to grow wild and was ‘rediscovered’ only relatively recently. Like quinoa, amaranth is a complete protein superhero and rich in lysine, copper, manganese, magnesium and phosphate. It’s a great source of iron and calcium and is gluten-free. Add it to soups, stews and casseroles to thicken them, or pop it like popcorn.

QUINOA

This mighty little food, pronounced ‘keen-wah’, has been grown on the
slopes of the Andes for many millennia and was known to the Inca people as ‘chisaya mama’ – mother of all grains. It’s an apt name – quinoa is rich in high-quality, complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids, including lysine, vital for tissue growth and repair, which is absent from most of the grains we eat. It is also a good source of magnesium, manganese, iron, copper and phosphorus. Quinoa is gluten-free and can be quickly prepared to use as a base for salads, or as a nutritious substitute for rice, potato or pasta.

There are so many similarities between quinoa (keen' wah) and amaranth that it seems appropriate to describe them together. Quinoa, however, is a cool weather crop and amaranth is a warm weather one.

Quinoa and amaranth are two very old, high-protein plants that hail from South America. They were held sacred in ancient Inca and Aztec cultures. Both now hold great potential for self-sustaining gardens in the northern hemisphere. They grow as easily as their weedy relatives (pigweed or lamb's-quarters) and the quality of food they offer far surpasses that of our common grains. Traditional hand-harvesting methods can obtain bounteous harvests.

Quinoa and amaranth are treated as grains although they have broad leaves, unlike the true grains and corn, which are grasses. Their leaves are among the most nutritious of vegetable greens, but it is their fruit that is usually meant when these plants are referred to as "crops." And that fruit or grain is quite special. The protein content of these two foods has a essential amino acid balance that is near the ideal. They both come closer to meeting the genuine protein requirements of the human body than either cow's milk or soybeans. They are high in the amino acid lysine, which is lacking in most cereals such as wheat, sorghum, corn and barley.

Both quinoa and amaranth are quite adaptable, disease-free and drought-tolerant plants. They thrive in rich soil—as long as it is well drained—but both will, once established, produce abundant harvests under dry conditions.