Quinoa
Also known as: Quinoa flour, Quinua, Chenopodium quinoa
Gluten-free seed of an Andean plant (Chenopodium quinoa), a pseudocereal rich in protein; its flour is added to maize and rice in gluten-free pasta.
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is the seed of an Andean plant of the amaranth family. It is not a cereal grass but a pseudocereal, and in pasta it is used as a gluten-free flour alongside maize and rice.
Quinoa has been grown around Lake Titicaca for thousands of years, and Bolivia and Peru are by far the largest producers (FAOSTAT). The United Nations declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa, and FAO highlights it as a crop that tolerates frost, drought and poor soils.
The seeds are coated with bitter saponins, which are removed by washing or abrasion before cooking or milling. Raw quinoa contains about 14 g of protein and 7 g of fibre per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central), and its protein supplies all the essential amino acids, including lysine, which is scarce in cereals.
In gluten-free pasta, quinoa flour is usually a minor ingredient that improves nutrition and flavour. Granoro Gluten Free is made from rice flour, white and yellow corn flour and 3% quinoa flour; Delverde Gluten Free combines corn, rice and quinoa flour; Garofalo Pasta Senza Glutine is based on maize and rice with potato starch and quinoa. Quinoa adds a slightly nutty, vegetal note and helps the pasta stay firm.
Quinoa is naturally gluten-free and is not among the 14 allergens that must be highlighted in the EU. Pasta may be labelled "gluten-free" only if it contains no more than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014), so people with coeliac disease should look for that wording on the pack.
Facts
| Raw material | Seeds of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), washed to remove saponins |
|---|---|
| Country | Bolivia and Peru (Andes) |
| Main use | Gluten-free pasta with maize and rice, grain dishes, flour |
How it connects to Pasta
Quinoa ← contains ← Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta → kind of → 🍝 Pasta
Links
- Where it is found
- La Molisana Pasta Senza Glutine, Garofalo Anellini Senza Glutine, Garofalo Casarecce Senza Glutine, Garofalo Ditalini Rigati Senza Glutine, Garofalo Farfalle Senza Glutine, Garofalo Fusilli Senza Glutine, Garofalo Fusillone Senza Glutine, Garofalo Gnocco Sardo Senza Glutine, Garofalo Lasagne Senza Glutine, Garofalo Linguine Senza Glutine
and 20 more
Garofalo Mafalda Corta Senza Glutine, Garofalo Pasta Mista Senza Glutine, Garofalo Penne Rigate Senza Glutine, Garofalo Spaghetti Senza Glutine, Ronzoni Gluten Free Elbows, Ronzoni Gluten Free Penne Rigate, Ronzoni Gluten Free Rotini, Ronzoni Gluten Free Spaghetti, Ronzoni Gluten Free Thin Spaghetti, Delverde Spaghetti Gluten Free n.604, Delverde Eliche Gluten Free n.629, Delverde Penne Rigate Gluten Free n.632, Leonardo Carassai Fettuccine Quinoa e Amaranto, La Molisana Spaghetti gluten free, La Molisana Penne rigate gluten free, La Molisana Fusilli gluten free, Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta, Delverde Gluten Free, Garofalo Pasta Senza Glutine, Granoro Gluten Free (quinoa flour 3%) - Part of
- Pasta ingredients and composition
- Similar and different
- Rice flour, Maize flour
Frequently asked questions
Is quinoa a grain?
Not botanically: it is the seed of a plant related to spinach and beet, so it is a pseudocereal.
Is it true that quinoa pasta is made only from quinoa?
Usually not; in Granoro Gluten Free quinoa flour is 3% and maize and rice make up most.
Which year did the UN dedicate to quinoa?
2013, the International Year of Quinoa.
Why does unwashed quinoa taste bitter?
Its seeds carry a coating of saponins, removed by washing or abrasion.
Which pastas contain quinoa flour?
The Granoro, Delverde and Garofalo ranges.
What to read next
- La Molisana Pasta Senza Glutine — La Molisana's gluten-free range: spaghetti, penne rigate and fusilli made from brown rice (34%), maize and quinoa, bronze-drawn, suitable for coeliacs.
- Garofalo Casarecce Senza Glutine — Short twisted pasta by Garofalo, made from maize, rice and quinoa flours.
- Pasta from other flours and gluten-free pasta — Wholegrain, spelt, buckwheat, legume, rice and corn pasta; in the EU "gluten-free" means no more than 20 mg of gluten per kilogram.
- Maize flour — Flour milled from dried maize kernels; it contains no gluten and, mixed with rice flour, is the base of most gluten-free pasta.
- Garofalo Ditalini Rigati Senza Glutine — Small soup pasta by Garofalo, made from maize, rice and quinoa flours.
Similar
Maize flour · Rice flour · Potato · Barley flour · Red lentil flour · Emmer
Sources
- FAO — International Year of Quinoa 2013
- FAOSTAT — Crops and livestock products (quinoa)
- USDA FoodData Central — Quinoa, uncooked
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 on gluten-free claims (EUR-Lex)
- Granoro — Gluten Free