Quinoa, Ceremonial Gold
(Chenopodium quinoa) Annual in the Goosefoot Family, native to South America. This ancient grain is high in protein and cooks up light and fluffy in half the time of rice. Spanish conquistadors tried to wipe out quinoa as part of their genocidal policies against the Incas, for whom it was a staple crop. After surviving in out-of-the -way plantings for centuries, quinoa re-emerged in the 1980’s when it was first brought to the U.S.A. This variety of quinoa dates back to that initial introduction. We acquired it from a farmer who has been growing it out for decades on a piece of land in the Coast Range of Central Oregon, where the season is short and not overly warm. The story goes that, in Incan times, this variety was grown for the emperor.
Planting suggestions: Direct sow as soon as possible after the Final Frost. Thin to 12-18” apart in rows 24-36” apart. Can also be started earlier in flats in a hoophouse or even inside and transplanted out when the 2nd set of true leaves has appeared. Harvest when heads have dried to brown and seeds fall out when heads are rubbed. If rains threaten before maturity, cut off heads and hang upside down under shelter and over a tarp. Thresh and winnow. Important: Quinoa is not edible until the saponins coating the individual seeds have been removed. This is best accomplished as soon as possible after threshing and winnowing by soaking the seeds for a few hours and then rinsing them with several changes of water. The saponins are removed when there is no longer a bitter taste to the seeds. Dry quickly to avoid sprouting, in the sun or even in a food-dehydrator on a low setting.
Contains 100 seeds
