Quinoa

Overview (Gluten Free)

Quinoa is a nutrient-rich cereal grain grown primarily at high altitudes in South America. It has been cultivated for over 7,000 years. Known today as a “superfood,” quinoa was highly regarded by the ancients as well, since the word “quinoa” translates to “Mother Grain.”

Quinoa is available in white (aka “golden”), red and black. White quinoa is the kind most commonly sold in stores, although many stores now carry red quinoa, too. The black quinoa is a little more exotic. For the purposes of flour making, there is no difference between the three. They all have the same nutritional content and taste the same. You just have to determine if a reddish or dark tint to your flour is desirable or not.

The only real difference between these three strains of quinoa (besides color) is in the time it takes to cook them and in how chewy they are. Although this isn’t relevant to milling quinoa, here’s a quick summary: White, or golden, quinoa cooks the fastest and is the least crunchy, black quinoa takes the longest to cook (about 5 minutes longer than white quinoa) and has the crunchiest texture, and red quinoa falls in between these two.

Flour made from quinoa grain has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor and is easily adaptable to many baking recipes, with the exception of yeast breads. Unlike many gluten-free flours, quinoa flour does not require the addition of Guar or Xanthan gum to make it work for baking. In addition to baking with quinoa flour, it can be added to soups as a thickening agent or used to add protein to smoothies.

Quinoa can be substituted 1:1 in small amounts in general baking recipes calling for wheat flour and can replace up to one-fourth of the wheat flour called for in yeast bread recipes. Overuse of quinoa flour can give baked goods a slightly green hue.

About Quinoa Bitterness

Most quinoa sold in stores has been pre-washed. This is done to remove a waxy coating which naturally develops on quinoa seeds. This coating contains saponins, a natural chemical compound the plant secretes to make the seeds unappealing to insects and animals which might be tempted to eat it. These saponins give quinoa a bitter taste if it isn’t rinsed off prior to cooking.

Before milling quinoa, you should double check to make sure your quinoa was pre-rinsed. If not, you’ll need a micro-mesh strainer to put the quinoa in for rinsing. Just rinse the quinoa under cool water while dragging your fingers through it to make sure all the grains are rinsed. Rinse until there is no frothiness in the water draining out of your strainer.

Since the different kinds of quinoa sold in stores have varying levels of thoroughness in their rinsing, it doesn’t hurt to rinse your quinoa even if the label says it has been pre-rinsed. The drawback to this, of course, is that you’ll need to allow time for the quinoa to dry before you can mill it. We suggest spreading it out on paper towels and leaving to dry overnight.

Buy Organic Quinoa

Nutrition

Quinoa provides an excellent source of protein and really lives up to its hype as a superfood. In fact, the nutritional quality of the protein in quinoa is rated equivalent to milk protein. Flour milled from this seed also has a superlative amino acid profile, including two rarely found in cereal grains—lysine and threonine.

Note: Weight of a cup (or partial cup) of flour varies depending upon whether it is lightly sprinkled into a measuring cup or compacted. Most recipe measurements are based on sifted flour as a way to arrive at more uniform measurement.

Gluten Content & Allergen Information

Quinoa is a gluten-free grain and flour milled from it is an excellent choice for anyone with gluten intolerance or Celiac disease. However, if you are buying pre-milled flour, make sure to read the label to verify it was not packaged in a facility that also produces flour made from gluten-containing grains.

Nutrition Facts

1 servings per container

Serving Size

1 Cup

Amount per serving

Calories

626

% Daily Value

Total Fat 10g

13%

Cholesterol 0mg

0%

Sodium 8mg

1%

Carbohydrates 109g

37%

Dietary Fiber 12g

40%

Total Sugars 0g

Protein 24g

Vitamin D 0mcg

0%

Calcium 80mg

7%

Iron 8mg

45%

Potassium 0mg

0%

* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Diet Compatibility

Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet seeks to emulate the hunter-gatherer diet of our stone-age ancestors. The emphasis is on wild plants and meats similar to what ancient man would have consumed. As such, dairy products, refined sugar and processed oils are off limits. While many Paleo Diet followers also avoid grains, there is ample archaeological evidence to show that grains were part of Paleolithic era man’s diet.

Compatibility with Quinoa Flour:
Not Compatible

Mediterranean Diet

This diet seeks to emulate the diets of those living along the Mediterranean coast, with an emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, seafood/fish at least twice a week, limited servings of poultry, and only occasional sweets and red meat.