Chemical Composition and Nutritional Characteristics of Quinoa (Chenopodium Quinoa Willd.)

Abstract

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a grain crop with a long history of cultivation in South America. It was a staple food of the Incas but, following the Spanish conquest, cultivation was discouraged; the decline in the crop continued until well into the present century. Currently agronomists, nutritionists and the food industry are evaluating quinoa with a view to encouraging its wider cultivation. The crop and its production are described and its chemical composition is considered. Protein content of the grain is greater than that of cereal crops and is particularly rich in lysine. Before the grain can be eaten by man, toxic and bitter saponins found in the outer layers must be removed. Since the traditional technologies employed by the Incas are not readily applicable in other regions, alternatives have to be developed. These are considered in the latter part of the review, together with the available data on the nutritional value of quinoa for animals and man. The eventual target for the development of quinoa is seen to be as an alternative to cereals in human diet and animal feeds; further researches on genotype improvement, cultivation and processing are thus necessary to exploit the potential of this crop on a wider geographic basis than hitherto.