Once you get around to pronouncing it right — keen-wah as opposed to keen-owah — quinoa can easily replace the grains you use every day.
Quinoa is a gluten-free grain that's packed with fibre and has a slight nutty taste, according to EatingWell.com. It has about 111 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 4 grams of protein and 3 grams of fibre for a half-cup serving, says the site.
On this week's How To, Cynthia Lair of Cookus Interruptus has a basic guide on how to cook this tiny grain.
In the video above, Liar gives readers step-by-step cooking instructions on how to boil a cup of quiona (a total time of 15 minutes). And not like your average cooking video, she even has a guest character make an appearance during boiling time. Is it strange? A little, but it does make the wait go by faster.
On top of easily replacing all your favourite foods like rice and oatmeal and adding a different texture to your salads, quinoa also has all eight amino acids and is rich in calcium and iron — which is unusual for a grain. Also known as a superfood, quinoa has almost twice the amount of protein and fibre compared to brown rice, according to health and nutrition expert Joy Bauer.
LOOK: 16 tasty quinoa recipes to try yourself: