Quinoa in bloom

This is quinoa in bloom. Until recently I’d never seen a picture of the plant. I knew quinoa was a South American ancient grain carrying many nicknames. Despite being dubbed Incan Gold and Gold of the Gods, I hadn’t paid much attention to quinoa after an unfortunate experience with it in pasta form more than a decade ago. But when I needed a gluten-free, low-GI alternative to rice, I found myself scouring the health food stores for the grain in its whole form.

The prices varied wildly. One popular brand was twice the price of a lesser known. Both were organic, fair trade and from South America. While I could feel good about not exploiting a farmer, my quinoa purchase’s carbon footprint was very heavy. I don’t like having to weigh personal health against the health of the planet. After a little research, I learned we grow quinoa in Canada — Saskatchewan to be precise. This means it’s a local grain for some Canadians and a lot closer than Bolivia for others.

While I see quinoa appearing more in the recipe section of magazines and specialty cookbooks, it’s still not mainstream. I’ve only seen it in health food stores and specialty shops. Perhaps my local grocery store is too small to stock quinoa, but with gluten allergies on the rise and a push towards healthier eating, this high-fibre, protein-rich grain deserves some shelf space.

Has anyone tried Canadian quinoa? If so, did you notice any differences between it and South American grown? Did you find it in stores or order it online?

Photo © net_efekt. Published under a Creative Commons License.