It would be great if this became as economical as rice, as it would definately replace it for most. I see it being fairly expensive right now, but seems to be a great item to include in a food stock. Great find!

 

Expensive or not I will stock up on it.

 

If you buy the grain it's not too bad, not great, not horrible. It has a distinctive musty flavor that is hard to discribe. You will either say, I can eat this, or why did I buy it. If you raise it, or any chinopodium for seed, you have to process it which basically is soaking in water. The grain is bitter with saponins. You can use the water you soak it in for soap. It's available in most health food stores. Isn't cheap. Try some first before you purchase a boat load. It's a plant you should avoid if your family has a history of producing calcium kidney stones.

 

My super-food is chia
:thumb::thumb::thumb:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/chia-big-superfood/story?id=12108782

 

A 2004 study at the Netherlands' Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences found that high blood levels of the alpha-lipoic acid found in chia seeds might lower the chances of someone's dying from a heart attack.

The bad news is the Netherlands study also indicated that taking chia can raise the risk of prostate cancer in men. These results are not proven by any other study.

 

i use quinoa and chia
i know the pronunciation as keen-wa
quinoa is a good protein source, its missing 1 or 2 amino acids. but sprouted and it is a complete protein source.

quinoa is a seed and not a grain. gluten free and good vitamin and mineral content.

quinoa has gone up about a $1 in the past year or so

has a neutral taste, there are other colored varieties, i have had red, black and white.

great stuff

 

i use quinoa and chia
i know the pronunciation as keen-wa
quinoa is a good protein source, its missing 1 or 2 amino acids. but sprouted and it is a complete protein source.

quinoa is a seed and not a grain. gluten free and good vitamin and mineral content.

We also call it keen wa. It is definitely a seed to keep. If you haven't tried it, buy a small amount and try it...you'll probably be hooked on it.

 

they say that flax seeds should be ground up before consuming so that you can digest them, do you have to do this with chia seeds as well, or can you simply add them to your trail mix or granola bars as is???

 

its best to soak them for half hr+ or so and drink it, they release a gel like substance thats similar to what your gut has in it. it helps line the gut walls and it coats sugars and carbs to make them release slower(great for diabetics). good with mineral content, better source of omegas than flax.

i like to use more chia than flax, but like both

 

Interesting stuff, I'll have to try it. Straight Razor, you say it has a musty taste... Does it taste anything like wild rice?

 

We eat this stuff on a regular basis, need to cook in chicken stock, it is really tasty.

 

Quinoa mixes well with italian food, we use it all the time.

Straight Razor describes it as having a musty flavor... I would question how it is stored or his source because I have always loved the nutty flavor I have noticed from the stuff I get.

 

I've never had "nutty" quinoa. Whether store bought or garden raised it was musty. Tastes buds can differ. Here in Central Florida we have a plant that produces a rather ugly olive-like fruit. People consistently break into three groups on flavor. Some say it has no flavor. The second group says it tastes like pink baseball bubble gum. And the third group say it tastes and smells like a new plastic shower curtain.

 

we stock up on honey. archeaoligists find it in ancient pyramids and it's still good to eat.

 

You should look up Spirulina if you want a super food.

 

Hey buddy,
The link you have posted is informative one and I think that eating rice and grain's are much helpful and give much energy to the body and health also..... Take always healthy and nutritious products and live better.....el cerrito personal trainer

 

Chia is just lovely in bread. Little tiny bursts of crunch !

 

I have quinoa about once per week and it is not bitter for me. I boil it, let it soak for 20 minutes while I'm in the shower, then top it with honey or brown sugar. It has some protein in it and keeps me going until lunchtime, unlike starchy boxed cereals.

 

I never thought to make it sweet. I always cook it in tomato-ish dishes. I have to try this. Quinoa has complete protein.

 

I prefer oats, barley and rice to quinoa. However, it won't get fed to the hogs if somebody gives me a couple of 50 pound bags of the stuff....

 

It tastes like grass clippings.

I wish I had bought a small amount from bulk foods at the supermarket before I tried it. Now I'm stuck with the better part of a pound of the stuff and I hate it.

 

I see a lot of suggestions for adding to bread and various dishes etc but to be super survival food to me it should be able to be eaten as a staple. So can it be eaten bulk like rice?

 

Yep. My daughter eats it just like cooked white rice.

 

Although I understand not everyone shares the same taste, when people complain of the flavor it has me guessing they aren't really the best cooks to begin with.

Thats a slap in the face for some, but what I mean is some people are great cooks for a certain style of food, or things that are regional to them, anything new turns out bad. To one form or another many of us fall into that, just some far more than others.

Assuming you have a good quality quinoa to begin with (if old it gets an odd flavor like everything else), if you think it tastes bad, try rinsing in a fine sieve first, then cooking in a stock of your liking instead of plain water (your water alone may also be part of the problem)
You may also like it more under or over cooked. But mostly the use of a good stock over plain water should make a world of difference.

Next pair it with something with a little "juice" like bite sized pork cooked in a deep pan with onion, garlic etc. A good amount of olive oil, and kale tossed in at the end. Scrap the bottom of the pot good and add either a little wine at the very end or go a different direction and mix in a bit of sour cream. You'll get a shallow amount of "gravy" to spoon over the quinoa along with the meat.

There are tons of other options to using this stuff, from soups to green salads.

Bottom line if it tastes like grass clippings you are doing something wrong.
And yes it can be eaten stand alone like rice, but it costs more.

 

my wife is a fan. i think it tastes like nothing -- for me rice is much preferred.

enjoy

bob

 

in my country rice is main dishes ::
so alternatively want to try what is quinoa

 

wow.. its new to me. must try! thanks for this post.

 

Funny to have my cooking insulted and no one has ever tried it.

My husband is a very picky eater, and has loved everything I prepared, with the exception of my version of "dirty rice". He literally begs for my split pea soup with ham.

Quinoa is just not for us. I would warn those new to it that it does have a strong taste so they can be prepared when they cook it.

I think most people would say "If I have to scrub it real good in several changes of water, in a sieve (more dishes), then prepare a gourmet meal with which to mask the flavor, I am just not interested in eating it."

I have lots of rice stored. I don't have to mask the flavor. I can cook it a multitude of ways. I have lentils stored too so I have complete protein.

 

I have a fine sieve and just fill the sink full enough and agitate it with my hands for a minute. Drain the water and rinse for 2 minutes. Seems to work well. I enjoy it with butter salt and pepper. I haven't tried it yet in my rice cooker but willing to try next time I have adults over.

 

ive eaten a lot of quinoa, and ive grown it, benefit of quinoa over rice is quinoa grows just about anywhere in almost any climate, but they actually prefer less nutrient rich soils and colder temperatures as its often ground high on mountains.. besides being fairly easy to grow its also pretty easy to harvest.. compared to rice, most people will not be able to grow their own rice, nor will rice ever have as much nutrients as quinoa

as far as cooking goes, quinoa is pretty much flavorless but absorbs flavors very well.. boil 1 cup dry quinoa in 2 cups of chicken stock and you'll have chicken flavored quinoa, similar to rice