PlantsMap

EN PL

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa)
Photo: User:MarkusHagenlocher, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

On the map in 2 countries crop

Quinoa

Chenopodium quinoa

Family: Amaranthaceae

On our map this plant appears in 2 countries and ranks highest in: Bolivia, Peru.

Quinoa is an annual of the amaranth family growing to 1–2 m, with large, dense panicles in colours ranging from cream through yellow and red to purple. Its tiny seeds, cooked like a grain, are rich in protein containing all the essential amino acids, and are gluten-free. It tolerates frost, drought, intense sunlight and salty soils, so it is grown at over 3,500 m, where other cereals fail. The bitter saponins in the seed coat must be rinsed off before eating.

Description from: Bolivia.

More: Wikipedia (en) Wikipedia (pl) Plants of the World Online (Kew)

Significance in each country

  1. Bolivia no. 3 of 10 native

    Bolivia is one of the world’s two largest quinoa producers, and it was at Bolivia’s initiative that the UN declared 2013 the International Year of Quinoa.

  2. Peru no. 6 of 15 native

    Quinoa was domesticated several thousand years ago in the Lake Titicaca area and, together with the potato, was a staple of the Inca diet.