Quinoa plants in Peru

Quinoa plants in Peru

The indigenous farmers of the Andes have eaten quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) for at least 3,000 years. The Incas considered this plant sacred, which may have factored into the Spanish conquistadors forbidding the crop, forcing the tribes of the Andes to grow wheat instead. But quinoa returned as a dietary staple in the region and its popularity eventually spread to Europe, the US and Canada. Have you tried quinoa yet?