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TOPIC:
"Ancient
Grains Series: Amaranth"
The name Amaranth is Greek for “never
fading flower”.
There are approximately 60 species of theamaranth plant that is grown both for its seed (grain) and
its leaf (vegetable).
Amaranth is actually not a true grain, but
rather a highly nutritious and colorfully bushy, annual herb with an
equally colorful past that grows to a height of five to seven feet.
The seeds harvested from the feathery plumes
of the amaranth plant are tiny and a golden to tan color and each
plant is capable of producing from 40 to 60,000 seeds.
A field of amaranth with its brightly
colored leaves, stems and flower or seed heads ranging in color from
deep red, to purple, orange, pink, green and white is a truly
beautiful site, and aside from its aesthetic qualities, amaranth is
an extremely adaptable plant, able to grow in adverse conditions.
Amaranth is resistant to heat and drought
and has no major disease problems, which makes it amongst the
easiest of plants to grow with a bare minimum of effort.
So, what happened to the amaranth plant and
why is it just now being reintroduced to the food chain? This is
where its colorful past comes into play.
Before the Spanish conquest way back in
1519, not only did the pre-Columbian Aztecs used amaranth as a
staple in their diets, but they also believed that it had
supernatural powers.
The Spanish conquistadors forbade the
growing of amaranth because it was traditionally associated with
religious practices and human sacrifice. The Aztec women mixed
ground amaranth seed with honey and/or human blood and then shaped
the mixture into idols that were eaten ceremoniously.
Because the growing of amaranth was
forbidden by the Spanish, it became lost as a staple crop for
hundreds of years, and had its cultivation not continued in a few
remote areas of the Andes and Mexico, it may have become totally
lost to us today.
Now amaranth is used in various ways in many
different cultures, such as Mexico where it is popped and mixed with
sugar to make a confection called “alegria”, or milled and
roasted to create a drink called “atole”.
In Peru, fermented amaranth seed is used to
make a beer called “chicha” and in some areas the flowers are
used to treat toothache and fevers.
In Nepal, the seeds are milled into flour
and in Ecuador the flowers are boiled and the colored water added to
rum to create a drink that is said to “purify the blood” as well
as help regulate the menstrual cycle.
In India, amaranth is known as “rajeera”
or “the King’s grain” where the seeds are popped and used in
confections similar to the Mexican “alegria”.
In both Peru and Mexico amaranth leaves are
used as a vegetable, either boiled or fried.
Since the mid-1970’s amaranth has been
gaining popularity in the US and can now be found in many natural or
health food stores, usually in the form of flour.
From a nutritional perspective, amaranth
seed is high in protein, about 15-18%, and it also contains two
essential amino acids (lysine and methionine) that are not usually
found in grains.
As well, amaranth is high in fiber, being
about three times that of wheat, as well as containing twice as much
calcium as milk, and five times the iron content of wheat.
Amaranth also contains potassium, phosphorus
and both vitamins A, C and E and consists of 6-10% oil, which is
mostly unsaturated and high in healthy linoleic acid.
Combining amaranth with wheat, brown rice or
corn results in a complete protein, which is just as high in food
value as red meat, poultry or fish.
Cooked amaranth is also 90% digestible,
which makes it very good for anyone ending a fast or recovering from
an illness.
The nutritious leaf can also be eaten,
tasting somewhat life spinach, but containing higher levels of
calcium, iron and phosphorus than spinach.
There are many ways to introduce amaranth
into your diet. For instance, it can be used as a cooked cereal,
ground into flour, popped like popcorn, sprouted or toasted. You can
add the seeds or flour to other whole grains, and use them in
stirfrys or soups and stews as a highly nutritious thickening agent.
Amaranth flour is now used in making baked
goods and pastas, but it must be mixed with other flours for baking
yeast breads because it contains no gluten. It has a mildly sweet,
nutty or malt-like flavor and a sticky texture which can lead to a
gummy consistency if you over cook it. Generally, one part amaranth
to 3 or 4 parts wheat or other grain flours may be used.
If you want to make pancakes or pastas or
some form of flatbread, however, you can use 100% amaranth. As well,
if you can find the seeds and then sprout them, not only will this
increase the nutrient value, but they can then be used as a tasty
addition to your salads or sandwiches.
Amaranth is quite the nutritious little
powerhouse, which makes it well worth the effort to go onto the net
and find recipes and ways to add it to your daily diet.
I hope you've enjoyed this simple health
"secret", compliments of SolvingTheHealthPuzzle.com
where you'll learn simple "secrets" every week about how to live a healthier
and more toxic-free life.
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