Quinoa, White

White Quinoa

White quinoa has high nutritional value, pleasant taste, interesting texture—and a broad tolerance for cold temperatures and poor soils—explain why quinoa has been feeding mankind for five millennia.

Only recently have European and North American cooks discovered its virtues, especially as a highly nutritious substitute for white rice. It has a more complex flavor, combining nuttiness with a creamy, but lightly crunchy texture. Quinoa comes in many colors, with the white seeds having the most delicate flavor and fluffing well with cooking.

We also offer red and black quinoa, plus a combination of red, black and white.

Whatever the color, quinoa qualifies as a superfood. Complete proteins can be hard to find in vegan diets, but quinoa fills the bill, containing all nine amino acids. It’s also rich in such essential minerals as magnesium and iron, as well as disease-busting flavonoids. Its high-fiber content can reduce unhealthy forms of cholesterol and balance blood sugar levels. Some foodies appreciate quinoa for what it lacks, too. As a gluten free food, it’s safe for celiac patients and works nicely as a substitute for ingredients containing gluten—like the bread crumbs that function as a binder in meatloaf. Quinoa is a highly versatile pseudograin.

Consider it for breakfast, as a replacement for oatmeal or a high-protein addition to fruit smoothies. It lends texture and interest to luncheon soups and salads. For dinner, quinoa jazzes up vegetable sides or can take center stage as a pilaf. It even has a place on the dessert menu, as a nutritious substitute for the white rice in rice pudding. An ancient foodstuff in the Andes, this relative of spinach faced extinction in the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors destroyed quinoa fields. Hostile toward the Incan culture, the intruders objected to quinoa because of its role as an offering to Incan gods. The extermination campaign missed enough remote fields for this valuable food source to survive. Wholesale buyers may prefer our bulk sacks, weighing 25 pounds. For individual shoppers, we offer white quinoa in 2-pound and 5-pound bags.