Amaranth - called the grain of the 21st century - is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. Before the discovery of America, along with corn, beans and potatoes, it was the staple food of the Inca, Maya and Aztecs. Amaranth is a grain that is characterized by particularly high nutritional and he alth values.

Amarantushas no equal in terms ofiron . It contains five times more than spinach or wheat. It is an extremely valuable source ofprotein- better digestible than from milk or soy, and does not contain gluten. It is distinguished by the content of an extremely fine fraction of starch, which is five times easier to digest than that present in corn.

Amaranth - cultivation history

The history of amaranth began over5000 years ago . The Indians considered this plant sacred and cultivated it on a large scale. They used the ground seeds to maketortillasanddrinksand used the young leaves and shoots asvegetablesand spice .

In times of peace,honeywas added to amaranth pastries, while during the war -blood of prisonersto give it bravery. Probably the latter practices resulted in the fact that during the colonial conquests, the Spanish monks hailed amaranth as " devilish herb ". The first conquistadors destroyed it almost completely, for it was a symbol of paganism for them - it burned at heaps along the Andean peaks, just like victims of the inquisition. Wherever the Christian religion was in force, its cultivation was forbidden.

Ironically, he was discovered for Europe a few centuries after the conquistadorsmonk .

Amaranth - modern cultivation

Currently, the fields of amaranth, also known asamaranth , can be found almost in all corners of the world. It is grown on a larger scale in North and South America, Southeast Asia (India, Nepal, the Himalayas, Ceylon) and in Africa (Nigeria, Mozambique, Uganda). In Poland, over90%crops are found in theLubelszczyzna .

According to the botanical classification, amaranth is not a grain, therefore it is calledpseudo-cereal . Most of its sixty species are weeds with inedible seeds and leaves. The most commonly used parts of amaranth areslightly larger than poppy seedslight brown seeds .

For the natural environment, an extremely important feature of amaranth is that it absorbs twice as muchcarbon dioxidethan other plants. Mass cultivation may therefore turn out to be beneficial in counteracting the effects of the greenhouse effect.

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Amarantus - application

Available in Poland:flour ,seedsandpopping , i.e. toasted like popcornamaranth seeds .

  • Amaranth flourimproves the quality of baked goods, allows you to eliminate most of the chemical additives, extends the shelf-life, and also gives an excellent nutty flavor. Amaranth flour can also be used for making pasta or bread, as well as for salads and soups.
  • Poppinggoes great with yogurt, kefir or milk.
  • Seedscan be used as an ingredient in various types of cooked, stewed dishes and casseroles. It can be used to make "amaranth butter", mayonnaise, as well as milk for allergy sufferers.

In India seeds are fried in sugar asladdosor boiled with rice, in the Himalayas ground seeds are used to make pancake-likechapattis , and the Indian women - as centuries ago - chew amaranth leaves and giveto babies as food . That is why it is worth making friends with the grain of the 21st century.

The article was published in the monthly "Zdrowie"

According to an expertMagdalena Pawlak

Amaranth seeds are a valuable source of easily digestible protein. As one of the few plant proteins, it contains a complete set of exogenous amino acids, incl. lysine, tryptophan and methionine. Amaranth seeds are also very rich in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. Amaranth is also a source of many minerals, including easily digestible iron and calcium as well as magnesium, phosphorus and potassium. It contains B vitamins and antioxidants - vitamins A, C and E. Due to the high fiber content, it has a positive effect on the intestines. Amaranth seeds contain large amounts of squalene - a compound that inhibits cell aging. It can be successfully consumed by people with atherosclerosis, diabetes or hyperlipidemia.

Nutritional and healing properties of amaranth

See what the expert says about them - Jacek Bilczyński, a specialist in the field of nutrition and he althy lifestyle.

Amaranth - sample recipe

Potato Salad

Ingredients1 kg of potatoes, 2 onions, 2 pickles, 10 tablespoons of popping, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of mustard, 5 tablespoons of lemon juice, spices (s alt, pepper )PreparationDice the onion and mix with the mustard, lemon juice, s alt, pepper and popping. After cooling, cut the boiled potatoes into slices and mix with the previously prepared sauce, then add the olive oil and diced cucumbers. Mix everything up.

Apples baked with amaranth

Ingredients5 apples, a cup of popping, 5 tablespoons of sunflower seeds, 4 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, oil for a casserolePreparation Remove the seed nests from washed and dried apples. Mix the popping with sunflower seeds, honey and cinnamon. Fill the apples with the stuffing and place them in a greased ovenproof dish. Sprinkle it all slightly with water. Bake for 30 minutes at 200 ° C.

See the gallery of 5 photos

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