Healing Foods—Indigenous Grain Uprising

By Doug Schnitzspahn

Next time you feel low on energy and want a bowl of pasta, tap into the wisdom of the ancients instead: Consider a meal cooked with quinoa, amaranth, or teff. Not only do they form the basis for a wide range of palate-pleasing meals, they provide the nutritional punch of meat and lack the allergy problems of modern-day grains like wheat. Nutritionally, “quinoa, amaranth, and teff contain lysine, an amino acid missing from most grains [like wheat, corn, oats, and rice],” explains Jennifer Lovejoy, PhD, dean of the School of Nutrition and Exercise Science at Bastyr University. “This makes the protein in the grains a complete protein, similar to meat. It’s a great choice for anyone who wants to add that protein to their diet without adding the fat found in meat.”

Each member of this healthy trio is packed with complex carbohydrates, iron, fiber, magnesium, and calcium. Quinoa, especially, contains higher levels of magnesium than mainstream grains, while amaranth has almost twice the iron levels found in wheat, and teff far outdistances other grains in calcium content. Plus, all three are gluten-free. “People with celiac and gluten allergies should have no problem with these grains,” Lovejoy says.

Quinoa, the power grain
The poster child of gluten-free grains, “quinoa is a wonderful, light, fluffy grain that really sucks in the juices and flavor of whatever you cook with it,” says Susan O’Brien, author of Gluten-free, Sugar-free Cooking (Marlowe and Co., 2006). “And it’s so versatile. It can be used in cold summer salads, mixed with peaches, molasses, and walnuts, or stuffed in a Thanksgiving turkey.” Quinoa comes in 1,800 subtly different varieties, with the taste varying from almost nutty to slightly acerbic and a color palette ranging from off-white to red to black that makes it ideal for festive mixes. Milled into flour, this workhorse grain seamlessly substitutes for mainstream flours in anything from pasta to bread to cookie dough. Wash the quinoa thoroughly before cooking it, however, to rinse off the saponin, a bitter resin that keeps birds from eating the crop.

Beyond its gastronomic cachet, quinoa is also a sustainable crop, growing in harsh, high-altitude conditions, like the Andes and Colorado’s Rockies, that prove too difficult for other grains. Cultivated in South America for more than 5,000 years, it was the staple food of the Incan empire. Despite being banned by conquistadors in an effort to stamp out indigenous culture, quinoa survived and today flourishes.

Pop goes the amaranth
Although nutritionally similar to quinoa, amaranth is not yet popular in the US. It should be. A slightly toasty, nutty grain often milled into versatile flour, amaranth has a heavier texture and stronger flavor than quinoa, making it perfect for hearty meals. “It’s great for thickening sauces,” says O’Brien, “and amaranth flour is good for breading fish or chicken.” She suggests cutting amaranth flour with quinoa or sorghum flour, however, since it can overpower a recipe.

Amaranth kernels will pop like popcorn into healthy puffs, which are mixed with honey and sold on the streets of Mexico City as a snack called alegría. And some Peruvians make a beer called chicha from amaranth seed.

Cultivated and revered for millennia by the Aztecs (who mixed it with honey to bake ceremonial cakes), amaranth, like quinoa, outlived the conquistadors who destroyed the crop because of its historic religious significance. Amaranth, too, grows easily and thrives in difficult soils and drought conditions. “We have had farmers tell us they thought they lost the crop after planting it and then having no rain for three weeks,” says Diane Walters, cofounder of Nu-World Foods, a company in Illinois that distributes amaranth and amaranth products. “They were shocked when it finally rained and the amaranth survived.”

Teff: the runner’s high
If you’ve ever eaten Ethiopian food, you know teff. The high-protein, whole grain is used to make injera, the spongy, crepe-like bread that serves as a plate and wrap for Ethiopian cuisine. According to Lovejoy, when teff ferments during the sourdough-like process of making injera, the grain’s vitamins and minerals become even more bioavailable for your body to absorb. That doesn’t mean the grain, which ranges in color from brown to cream and has a slight chestnut or hazelnut flavor, is limited to use in ethnic food. “Injera can be difficult to make, but teff makes fantastic pancakes and waffles,” says Elisabeth Carlson, cofounder along with her husband Wayne of the Teff Company in Caldwell, Idaho, which supplies the grain to Ethiopian and Eritrean communities in the US. And like amaranth and quinoa, teff flour can be used for anything from pasta to cookies.

Another grain that has been cultivated since prehistory, teff was developed between 4,000 and 1,000 BC in East Africa. Its high yield—1 pound of seed can produce up to 1 ton of grain in just 12 weeks—could help battle famine today. Surprisingly, the grain is experiencing a cult revival, with Western endurance athletes seeking to emulate the performance of champion Ethiopian distance runners, such as 2000 Olympic gold-medalist Gezahegne Abera and two-time Boston Marathon runner-up Elfenesh Alemu, who eat injera bread daily. “The runners carry dried bread with them even when they are traveling,” Carlson says. Researchers have been trying to pin down exactly why East Africans win so many medals in the marathon, and the high-protein, complex carbs and easily absorbed minerals in teff could certainly boost athletic performance. But even if it doesn’t leave you cruising across the Boston Marathon finish line, teff will boost your energy, health, and culinary pizzazz.

Recipes

Quinoa With Feta, Swiss Chard, and Black Olives

11/2 cups quinoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 large bunch Swiss chard, stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Moroccan black olives
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Place quinoa in a strainer and rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Drain. Combine quinoa, 2 cups water, and salt in a heavy, medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until quinoa is just tender and water is absorbed (about 20 minutes).

While quinoa is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onions for 1 to 2 minutes, until just tender. Stir in chard and garlic, and toss to coat with oil. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes until chard is tender. Stir in olives, and cook for 1 minute longer.

Remove from heat and stir in quinoa, mixing until combined well. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 386; Protein 13 g; Carbohydrate 51 g; Total Fat 16 g; Saturated Fat 4 g; Cholesterol 17 mg; Sodium 960 mg; Fiber 5 g

Cherry-Vanilla Amaranth Breakfast Porridge
1 cup amaranth
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Milk or rice milk (optional)

Combine amaranth with 3 cups water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in vanilla, honey, cherries, and almonds. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until cherries are soft. Stir in milk or rice milk, if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving: Calories 299; Protein 9.5 g; Carbohydrate 49 g; Total Fat 7.5 g; Saturated Fat 1 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 13 mg; Fiber 9 g