| |
|
Quinoa: the rise of an ancient grain |
|
Wednesday, 08 April 2009 |
Once obscure, quinoa is finding its way into more and more dishes thanks to its versatility and serious nutritional clout. Jane de Graaff chases the tail of the diminutive grain that's making a big impression on menus around Australia.
I watch the tiny grains stream into the pot of boiling water on the stove. "There, now all you have to do is boil them until they absorb all the water and their spermy little tails unwrap." For a person on a mission to introduce friends and family to the delights of quinoa, my sister could have picked her words better.
 This minute powerhouse of a grain is raising eyebrows all over town, and not just for its 'tail'. First, there is the debate over how it's actually pronounced and, as quinoa fever sweeps the food scene, now seems as good a time as any to join the debate. According to the Quinoa Corporation (California, USA), Nature First Organics (Victoria, Australia) and the Alternative Field Crops Manual (Purdue University, Indiana, USA), keen-wah is the most commonly used pronunciation in English. However, Wikipedia and Dictionary.com both also identify kee-noh-uh as acceptable pronunciation, and if you scratch a little deeper you can become hopelessly embroiled in online discussions about South American variations.
For such a small grain, quinoa punches well above its weight for nutrition, versatility and now for popularity as well. In their 1994 report 'Neglected Crops 1492 from a different perspective' for the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), J.E. Hernández Bermejo and J. León describe quinoa as "a food plant which was extensively cultivated in the Andean region [of South America] by pre-Columbian cultures some 5,000 years ago," ear-marking it as an ancient grain and going on to note that "[it's] nutritional value is considerable: the content and quality of its proteins are outstanding."
Despite sustaining the Incas for centuries, quinoa fell into decline with the introduction of crops such as barley and wheat. Today this mighty little grain is enjoying a renaissance as the 'mother grain' due to a renewed interest in its high nutritional content, and recognition of its versatility. Coming in varieties from white and red all the way through to black, it's turning up more and more on innovative menus around Australia.
Coconut quinoa porridge features on the breakfast menu of Birdman Eating, located in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy. Co-owner Tim Tehan first encountered the grain on the Nuevo Latino menu at London's reputable Sabor restaurant. "Two years later, a month before I was to open the Birdman, I gave a packet of red and white quinoa to a friend who is a chef and asked him for his thoughts on the product. He came back to me and said, 'Why don't you do a play on the Asian dessert coconut sago pudding with gula melaka and banana?' And upon trying it in my kitchen, the [quinoa] porridge was born!"
It's certainly a distinctive item on the menu at Birdman, and has remained a point of difference ever since, but the reasons for its popularity don't end there. "It's a vegan dish that's incredibly high in protein. So one bowl will keep you going all day, literally." A mixture of white quinoa, coconut milk, palm sugar and banana, it's a slow burn, low GI recipe that Tehan is not shy about sharing.
 Just one suburb over in Carlton, co-owner and chef of Shakahari, Beh Kim Un, has been on working terms with quinoa for over ten years — and he is adamant it is pronounced keen-wah. Shakahari has long been a Melbourne vegetarian Mecca. With a focus on providing interesting and nutritious meat-free meals, it's no surprise to find 'Angel's Jewels' — or quinoa tagine — on offer. Curious customers are directed to an explanation at the bottom of the menu. "It's necessary to have a footnote of quinoa in order to capture the customer's attention," says Kim Un. "It stirs up interest and most [people] tend to order it to try and taste it."
And how do they prepare it at Shakahari? "Currently, we are using red quinoa which has a solid, earthier flavour. It is richer in fibre, minerals and protein — around 17%. The red quinoa is cooked in a similar method to couscous tagine, in reduced vegetable stock. This is served with chunky tomato vegetable stew, inspired by Moroccan and Italian vegetable dishes."
Both chefs agree that one of quinoa's great benefits lies in how easy it is to use. "It's almost impossible to get it wrong," says Tehan. "You can pre cook and reheat it any time you need it, or even use it in salads cold." Kim Un adds: "It does not stick or become stodgy, its pearl-like texture releasing flavour and moisture as you chew, it absorbs the flavour of stock and herbs easily."
Consisting of around 14% protein, the rise of quinoa owes a lot to newfound interest in its nutritional content, though the overriding factor appears to be its versatility. Standing in for rice, couscous and wheat, as well as being gluten free and providing protein for vegetarians — and with advocates like Tehan and Kim Un championing it on their menus — more and more people are finding quinoa an appealing alternative to more traditional grain options. It's a trend that supermarkets have caught onto as demand steadily grows, so keep an eye on the health-food aisle.
For now, I suggest my sister refer to the 'spermy little tails' by their arguably more appealing and proper name, the 'germ' of the grain. So, do I try it for breakfast...or dinner?
Jane de Graaff
Links and further information:
|
|
|
