Incas believed quinoa to be sacred and provided stamina to their warriors. It was known as the ‘mother of all grains’ and the ‘gold of the Incas’. Legend has it that the Incan emperor would ceremoniously break ground each year with a golden spade and plant the first quinoa seeds. The Incas used it not only as a grain but also consumed the leaves as a vegetable.

It is an Andean plant which originated in the area surrounding Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia. It flourishes in the most hostile conditions, surviving nightly frosts and daytime temperatures upwards of 40 degrees C in the mountainous regions where the oxygen is thin water is scarce.

When the Spanish arrived in 1526, it ceased being a staple of their diet and was replaced by cereals. Quinoa remained in obscurity until the 1970s when it was marketed as a ‘superfood’ and the FAO of the UN designated it a possible solution to world hunger due to its high nutritional value. The Peruvian government more recently have been giving incentives to farmers to increase the production.

The quinoa seed has twenty amino acids (including all nine essential amino acids) and twice the quantity of proteins than many other cereals. It boasts a wide range of vitamins, fibre, antioxidants and protein.

I've added spiralized vege and edamame beans to these nutty and ancient grains and infused with an Asian dressing - lovely on its own or with seared salmon. #GlobalApron