Just Baking

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is the seed of a leafy vegetable of the Goosefoot species, which is also related to spinach and rhubarb. Like spinach the leaves can be eaten. However, the plant is raised for its seed.

Quinoa has been grown and harvested in the Andes Mountain region of South America for 6,000+ years. Prized by the Incas, this grain was major part of their diet and rightly so. Quinoa contains on average 16% protein and a well-balanced set of amino acids. This means that not only does quinoa have more protein than most grains used today, it also provides the necessary nutrients to process the protein so more protein is taken into the body. In addition, quinoa is high in B vitamins, dietary fiber, iron, and other essential minerals. Beyond its high nutritional properties, quinoa is a hardy plant that can grow in colder climates and in poorer soil conditions making it an ideal candidate to be grown in other areas where more traditional grains can’t.

This superfood does have a downside though, saponin. Quinoa has a natural coating of saponin to ward off birds and other pests. Saponin is a bitter, soapy substance that needs to be removed in processing. Most, if not all, of the saponin is removed before the quinoa reaches the consumer but quinoa should be thoroughly washed before eating. Still, even this negative has a silver lining: pesticides are not needed to protect the quinoa crop.

Whole quinoa can be treated and used much like rice. It has a nutty and slightly grassy flavor. Since this is a baking site, the importance here is its use ground. Quinoa flour can be used to replace up to all of the wheat flour in most recipes and can be combined with other gluten-free products to create an all-purpose flour substitute. The higher fat content of quinoa lends itself to a moister baked good. This higher fat content also means that quinoa flour should be treated like a nut flour/meal and kept in the freezer to keep it from spoiling.