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{{taxobox
|name = Quinoa
|image = Chenopodium quinoa0.jpg
|regnum = [[Plant]]ae
|unranked_divisio = [[Angiosperms]]
|unranked_classis = [[Eudicots]]
|unranked_ordo = [[Core eudicots]]
|ordo = [[Caryophyllales]]
|familia = [[Amaranthaceae]]
|subfamilia = [[Chenopodioideae]]
|genus = ''[[Chenopodium]]''
|species = '''''C. quinoa'''''
|binomial = ''Chenopodium quinoa''
|binomial_authority = [[Carl Ludwig Willdenow|Willd.]]
|synonyms =
    {{Plainlist | style = margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; |
* ''Chenopodium canihua'' <small>[[Orator F. Cook|O.F.Cook]]</small>
* ''Chenopodium ccoyto'' <small>Toro [[John Torrey|Torr.]]</small>
* ''Chenopodium ccuchi-huila'' <small>Toro [[John Torrey|Torr.]]</small>
* ''Chenopodium chilense'' <small>[[Christiaan Hendrik Persoon|Pers.]]</small> ''[[validly published name|nom. inval.]]''
* ''Chenopodium guinoa'' <small>[[Anton Johann Krocker|Krock.]]</small>
* ''Chenopodium nuttalliae'' <small>[[William Edwin Safford|Saff.]]</small>
    }}
|synonyms_ref = <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2717733 |title=The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species |accessdate=May 1, 2014 }}</ref>
| range_map = Quinoa Ursprung Verbreitung.png
| range_map_width = 250px
| range_map_caption = Natural distribution in red, Cultivation in green
}}
[[File:Lanscape with Chenopodium quinoa Cachilaya Bolivia Lake Titicaca.JPG|thumb|right|Landscape with ''Chenopodium quinoa'' near Cachilaya, [[Lake Titicaca]], [[Bolivia]]]]

'''Quinoa''' (kēn’wä, from [[Quechuan languages|Quechua]] ''{{lang|qu|kinwa}}'' or ''{{lang|qu|kinuwa}}'')<ref>{{Ref Laime}}</ref> is a species of the [[Chenopodium|goosefoot]] [[genus]] ('''''Chenopodium quinoa'''''), a [[grain]] [[crop]] grown primarily for its edible [[seed]]s. It is a [[pseudocereal]], similar in some respects to [[buckwheat]], rather than a true [[cereal]], as it is not a member of the [[Poaceae|true grass family]]. As a [[Chenopodioideae|chenopod]], quinoa is closely related to species such as [[beetroot]]s, [[spinach]] and [[tumbleweed]]s. As a member of the [[Amaranthaceae]] family, it is related to and resembles [[amaranth]], which is also a pseudocereal. After harvest, the seeds must be processed to remove the coating containing the bitter-tasting [[saponin]]s. The seeds are in general cooked the same way as rice and can be used in a wide range of dishes. The leaves are eaten as a [[leaf vegetable]], much like [[amaranth]], but commercial availability of quinoa greens is limited.

When cooked, the nutrient composition is comparable to common cereals, supplying a moderate amount of [[dietary fiber]] and [[dietary minerals|minerals]].   The [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] of the [[United Nations]] declared 2013 to be the International Year of Quinoa.<ref>{{cite web |work=Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations |title=International Year of Quinoa 2013 |url=http://www.fao.org/quinoa-2013/iyq/en/ |accessdate=18 August 2015}}</ref> 

Quinoa originated in the [[Andes|Andean]] region of [[Peru]], [[Bolivia]], [[Ecuador]], [[Colombia]] and [[Chile]],<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fuentes |first1=F. F. |last2=Martínez |first2=E. A. |last3=Hinrischen |first3=P. V. |last4=Jellen |first4=E. N. |last5=Maughan |first5=P. J. |title=Assessment of genetic diversity patterns in Chilean quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa'' Willd.) germplasm using multiplex fluorescent microsatellite |url=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/E_Martinez/publication/227063572_Assessment_of_genetic_diversity_patterns_in_Chilean_quinoa_(Chenopodium_quinoaWilld.)_germplasm_using_multiplex_fluorescent_microsatellite_markers/links/0c9605365e84013d63000000.pdf|publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]] |accessdate=14 February 2016 |format=PDF |date=10 May 2008 }}</ref> and was domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years ago for human consumption in the [[Lake Titicaca]] basin, though archaeological evidence shows a non-domesticated association with pastoral herding some 5,200 to 7,000 years ago.<ref name="Quinoa: Production, Consumption and Social Value in Historical Context">{{cite web |url=http://lasa.international.pitt.edu/members/congress-papers/lasa2009/files/KolataAlanL.pdf |format=PDF |title=Quinoa |year=2009 |work=Quinoa: Production, Consumption and Social Value in Historical Context |last=Kolata | first=Alan L. |publisher=Department of Anthropology, The University of Chicago }}</ref>

==Biology==
[[File:QuinoaGrains.jpg|thumb|left|Quinoa seeds]]
[[File:Chenopodium quinoa before flowering.jpg|thumb|right|Quinoa plant before flowering|324x324px]]
''Chenopodium quinoa'' is a [[dicotyledon]]ous annual plant usually about {{convert|1|–|2|m|ft|abbr=on}} high. It has broad, generally pubescent, powdery, smooth (rarely) to lobed leaves normally arranged alternately. The woody central [[plant stem|stem]] is branched or unbranched depending on the variety and may be green, red or purple. The flowering [[panicle]]s arise from the top of the plant or from leaf axils along the stem. Each panicle has a central axis from which a secondary axis emerges either with flowers (amaranthiform) or bearing a tertiary axis carrying the flowers (glomeruliform).<ref name="Lost crops" /> The green [[Ovary (plants)|hypogynous]] flowers have a simple [[Petal|perianth]] and are generally self-fertilizing.<ref name="Lost crops" >{{cite book|url=http://www.amazon.com/dp/0894991973|title=The Lost Crops of the Incas: Little-Known Plants of the Andes with Promise for Worldwide Cultivation|author= Research Coun National Research Council |year=2005}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Reinhard Lieberei, Christoph Reissdorff  |author2=Wolfgang Franke |lastauthoramp=yes |publisher=Georg Thieme Verlag|title=Nutzpflanzenkunde|year=2007|url=http://www.amazon.de/dp/3135304078}}</ref> The fruits are about {{convert|2|mm|in|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} in diameter and of various colors—from white to red or black, depending on the [[cultivar]].<ref name=" Oxford">{{cite book|title=The new Oxford book of food plants|author1=J. G. Vaughn  |author2=C. A. Geissler  |lastauthoramp=yes |year=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref>

===Natural distribution===
''Chenopodium quinoa'' is believed to have been domesticated in the Peruvian Andes from wild or weed populations of the same species.<ref>{{cite journal | url = http://aob.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/mcm193v1 | author = [[Barbara Pickersgill]] | title = Domestication of Plants in the Americas: Insights from Mendelian and Molecular Genetics | journal = Annals of Botany | date = August 31, 2007 | doi = 10.1093/aob/mcm193 | volume = 100 | pmid = 17766847 | issue = 5 | pmc = 2759216 | pages = 925–40}}</ref> There are non-cultivated quinoa plants (''Chenopodium quinoa'' var. ''melanospermum'') that grow in the area it is cultivated; these may either be related to wild predecessors, or they could be descendants of cultivated plants.<ref>{{cite journal | title = On the Origin of the Cultivated Chenopods (''Chenopodium'') |author1=Charles B. Heiser Jr.  |author2=David C. Nelson  |lastauthoramp=yes |date=September 1974 | volume = 78 | issue = 1 | pages = 503–5 | journal = Genetics | pmid = 4442716 | url = http://www.genetics.org/cgi/content/abstract/78/1/503 | doi = | pmc = 1213209 }}</ref>

===Saponin content===
[[File:Red quinoa.png|thumb|153x153px|left|Red quinoa, cooked]]
In their natural state, the seeds have a coating of bitter-tasting [[saponin]]s, making them [[unpalatable]]. Most of the grain sold commercially has been processed to remove this coating.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/basic-quinoa.php|title=How To Cook Quinoa, Easy Quinoa Recipe|publisher=Savvy Vegetarian|accessdate=9 June 2012}}</ref> This bitterness has beneficial effects during cultivation, as it is unpopular with birds and therefore requires minimal protection.<ref name=AlternativeFieldCropsManual>{{cite web |accessdate= |url= http://www.hort.purdue.edu/NEWCROP/AFCM/quinoa.html |title= Quinoa |date=January 20, 2000|work= Alternative Field Crops Manual |publisher= University of Wisconsin Extension and University of Minnesota}}</ref> The genetic control of bitterness involves quantitative inheritance; lowering the saponin content through selective breeding to produce sweeter, more palatable varieties is complicated by about 10% cross-pollination.<ref name = "Quinoa saponin">{{Cite book | last=Masterbroek | first=H.D. | authorlink=H.D. Masterbroek |last2=Limburg|first2= H.|last3= Gilles|first3= T. |last4= Marvin|first4= H. J. | title=Occurrence of sapogenins in leaves and seeds of Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd). | year=2000 | publisher=Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture | location=New York, NY. | doi= 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0010(20000101)80:1<152::AID-JSFA503>3.0.CO;2-P | pages=152–156}}</ref>

The [[toxicity category rating]] of quinoa saponins treats them as mild eye and respiratory irritants and as a low gastrointestinal irritant.<ref name="johnson"/><ref name=Biopesticides>{{cite web |accessdate=
|url=http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/registration/decision_PC-097094_28-Dec-07.pdf
|format=PDF|title=Biopesticides Registration Action Document: Saponins of Chenopodium quinoa |year=2009|publisher=EPA}}</ref> The saponin is a toxic [[glycoside]], a main contributor to its [[Hemolysis|hemolytic]] effects when combined directly with blood cells. In South America, quinoa saponin has many uses, including as a detergent for clothing and washing and as an antiseptic for skin injuries.<ref name="johnson"/> High levels of [[oxalic acid]] are in the leaves and stems of all species of the ''[[Chenopodium]]'' genus, and are also in the related genera of the Amaranthaceae family.<ref name="oxalic acid quinoa leaves">{{Cite book |last=Siener | first=Roswitha
|first2=Ruth|last2=Honow|first3=Ana|last3=Seidler|first4=Susanne|last4=Voss|first5=Albrecht|last5=Hesse| title=Oxalate contents of species of the Polygonaceae, Amaranthaceae and Chenopodiaceae families| url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T6R-4GRH7CB-8/2/1d4d300198a06a524425ccd18eb547de) | year=2006 | publisher=Food Chemistry, Volume 98 Issue 2 | pages=220–224 | issn=0308-8146 |doi=10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.05.059}}</ref> The risks associated with quinoa are minimal, provided it is properly prepared and the leaves are not eaten to excess.

==Nutritional value==
{{nutritional value | name=Quinoa, uncooked
| kJ=1539
| water=13.3 g
| protein=14.1 g
| fat=6.1 g
| monofat=1.6 g
| polyfat=3.3 g
| carbs=64.2 g
| fibre=7.0 g
| calcium_mg=47
| iron_mg=4.6
| magnesium_mg=197
| phosphorus_mg=457
| potassium_mg=563
| sodium_mg=5
| zinc_mg=3.1
| manganese_mg=2.0
| selenium_µg=8.5
| vitC_mg=0
| thiamin_mg=0.36
| riboflavin_mg=0.32
| niacin_mg=1.52
| vitB6_mg=0.49
| folate_ug=184
| choline_mg=70
| vitA_ug=1
| vitE_mg=2.4
| source_usda = 1
| note=[https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6504?fgcd=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=50&sort=default&qlookup=quinoa&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby=#id-1=Full Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
{{nutritional value | name=Quinoa, cooked
| kJ=503
| protein=4.4 g
| fat=1.92 g
| water=72 g
| monofat=0.529 g
| polyfat=1.078 g
| carbs=21.3 g
| fibre=2.8 g
| calcium_mg=17
| iron_mg=1.49
| magnesium_mg=64
| phosphorus_mg=152
| potassium_mg=172
| sodium_mg=7
| zinc_mg=1.09
| manganese_mg=0.631
| selenium_µg=2.8
| vitC_mg=0
| thiamin_mg=0.107
| riboflavin_mg=0.11
| niacin_mg=0.412
| vitB6_mg=0.123
| folate_ug=42
| choline_mg=23
| vitA_ug=0
| vitE_mg=0.63
| source_usda = 1
| note=[http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/6587?fg=&man=&lfacet=&count=&max=&sort=&qlookup=&offset=&format=Full&new=&measureby=Full Link to USDA Database entry]
}}
Raw (uncooked) quinoa is 13% water, 64% [[carbohydrates]], 14% [[protein]] and 6% [[fat]] (top nutrient table). Nutritional evaluations indicate that a {{convert|100|g|oz|abbr=on}} serving of raw quinoa is a rich source (20% or higher of the [[Daily Value]], DV) of protein, [[dietary fiber]], several [[B vitamins]] and [[dietary minerals]] (top table). 

After cooking &mdash; the typical preparation for eating &mdash; quinoa is 72% water, 21% carbohydrates, 4% protein and 2% fat and its [[nutrient]] contents are collectively and substantially reduced (bottom nutrient table).<ref name="johnson">{{cite web |authors =Johnson  DL, Ward SM| title = Quinoa | url = http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1993/v2-222.html#Table%201 | publisher = Department of Horticulture, Purdue University; obtained from Johnson, D.L. and S.M. Ward. 1993. Quinoa. p. 219-221. In: J. Janick and J.E. Simon (eds.), New crops. Wiley, New York| date =1993 | accessdate = 21 May 2013 }}</ref> In a {{convert|100|g|oz|abbr=on}} serving, ''cooked'' quinoa provides 120 [[calories]] and is an excellent source of [[manganese]] and [[phosphorus]] (30% and 22% DV, respectively), and a moderate source (10-19% DV) of dietary fiber, [[folate]], and the dietary minerals, [[iron]], [[zinc]] and [[Magnesium in biological systems|magnesium]]. (bottom table).

Quinoa is [[gluten]]-free and considered easy to digest. Possibly related to these characteristics, it is an experimental crop in [[NASA]]'s [[Controlled Ecological Life Support System]] for long-duration human occupied [[space flight]]s.<ref name="NASA">{{cite web | title=Quinoa: An Emerging "New" Crop with Potential for CELSS |author1=Greg Schlick  |author2=David L. Bubenheim  |lastauthoramp=yes | work= NASA Technical Paper 3422 | url=http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19940015664_1994015664.pdf |publisher= NASA |format=PDF|date=November 1993}}</ref>

==Cultivation==

===Climate requirements===
[[File:Harvested seeds of homegrown Chenopodium quinoa.jpg|thumb|Harvested quinoa seeds|left]]
The plant's growth is highly variable due to a high complexity of different subspecies, varieties and [[landrace]]s (domesticated plants or animals adapted to the environment in which they originated). However, in general it is undemanding and altitude-hardy. It is grown from coastal regions to over {{convert|4000|m|ft|abbr=on}} in the Andes near the equator, with most of the cultivars being grown between {{convert|2500|m|ft|abbr=on}} and {{convert|4000|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Depending on the variety, optimal growing conditions are in cool climates with temperatures that vary between {{convert|-4|C|F}} during the night to near {{convert|35|C|F}} during the day. Some cultivars can withstand lower temperatures without damage. Light frosts normally do not affect the plants at any stage of development, except during flowering. Mid-summer frosts during flowering, often occurring in the Andes, lead to sterilization of the pollen. Rainfall conditions are highly variable between the different cultivars, ranging from {{convert|300|to|1000|mm|in|abbr=on}} during growing season. Growth is optimal with well-distributed rainfall during early growth and development and dry conditions during seed maturation and harvesting.<ref name="Lost crops" />

Quinoa has been cultivated in the United States, primarily in the high elevation [[San Luis Valley]] (SLV) of [[Colorado]] where it was introduced in 1982.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} In this high-altitude desert valley, maximum summer temperatures rarely exceed {{convert|30|°C|°F}} and night temperatures are about {{convert|7|°C|°F}}. Due to the short growing season, North American cultivation requires short-maturity varieties, typically of Bolivian origin.

Several countries within Europe, including France, England, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Spain now have successfully grown quinoa on a commercial scale.<ref>{{Cite web|title = European Quinoa Group|url = http://www.quinoaeurope.eu/|website = www.quinoaeurope.eu|accessdate = 2015-12-27}}</ref> Within the UK, crops are grown as population and mechanically harvested in September.<ref>{{Citation|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-1F7TrniyI|accessdate = 2015-12-27|title=Pret A Manger – The journey of our British quinoa}}</ref>

===Sowing===
Quinoa plants do best in sandy, well-drained soils with a low nutrient content, moderate salinity, and a soil pH of 6 to&nbsp;8.5. The [[seedbed]] must be well prepared and drained to avoid waterlogging.

===Cultivation management===
Yields are maximised when {{convert|170|to|200|kg|lb|abbr=on}} [[nitrogen|N]] per hectare are available.{{citation needed|date=December 2013}} The addition of phosphorus does not improve yield. In eastern North America, it is susceptible to a [[leaf miner]] that may reduce crop success and which also affects the common weed and close relative ''[[Chenopodium album]]'', but ''C. album'' is much more resistant.

===Harvesting and handling===
[[File:Camino a Puno Golpeando quinoa.JPG|thumb|left|Threshing quinoa in Peru]]
Quinoa grain is usually harvested by hand and rarely by machine, because the extreme variability of the maturity period of most Quinoa cultivars complicates mechanization. Harvest needs to be precisely timed to avoid high seed losses from shattering, and different panicles on the same plant mature at different times. The seed yield (often around 3 t/ha up to 5 t/ha) is comparable to wheat yields in the Andean areas. In the United States, varieties have been selected for uniformity of maturity and are mechanically harvested using conventional small grain combines. The plants are allowed to stand until they are dry{{clarify|does this mean without water on them, or shrivelled?|date=May 2014}} and the grain has reached a moisture content below 10%.
Handling involves threshing the seedheads and winnowing the seed to remove the [[husk]]. Before storage, the seeds need to be dried in order to avoid [[germination]].<ref name="Lost crops" /> Dry seeds can be stored raw until washed or mechanically processed to remove the pericarp to eliminate the bitter layer containing saponins.
{{clear}}

==History and culture==

===Early history===
Quinoa was first domesticated by [[Andes|Andean]] peoples around 3,000 to 4,000 years ago.<ref name=Superfood>{{cite web|last=Keppel|first=Stephen|title=The Quinoa Boom Is a Lesson in the Global Economy|url=http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/News/quinoa-boom-lesson-global-economy/story?id=18643075|work=ABC Univision|accessdate=16 March 2013|date=March 4, 2012}}</ref> It has been an important staple in the [[Andean civilizations|Andean cultures]] where the plant is indigenous but relatively obscure in the rest of the world.<ref name=Keen>{{cite book|last=Keen|first=Benjamin|title=A History of Latin America|year=2008|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company|location=Boston, MA|isbn=978-0618783182|page=32|first2=Keith|last2=Haynes}}</ref>  The [[Inca]]s, who held the crop to be sacred,<ref name="inca crops">{{Cite book | last=Popenoe | first=Hugh | authorlink=Hugh Popenoe | title=Lost crops of the Incas: little-known plants of the Andes with promise for worldwide cultivation | url=https://books.google.com/?id=jMlxpytjZq0C&printsec=frontcover&dq=Lost+crops+of+the+Incas#v=onepage&q=quinoa&f=false | year=1989 | publisher=National Academy Press | location=Washington, D.C. | isbn=0-309-04264-X | page=149}}</ref> referred to it as ''chisoya mama'' or "mother of all grains", and it was the Inca emperor who would traditionally sow the first seeds of the season using "golden implements".<ref name="inca crops" /> During the [[Conquistador|Spanish conquest of South America]], the colonists scorned it as "food for Indians",<ref>{{cite book |author=Gade, Daniel W. |title=Nature and culture in the Andes |publisher=University of Wisconsin Press |location=Madison |year=1999 |page=206 |isbn=0-299-16124-2}}</ref> and suppressed its cultivation, due to its status within indigenous religious ceremonies.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Bailey, Garrick Alan |author2=Peoples, James |title=Humanity: an introduction to cultural anthropology |publisher=Wadsworth Cengage Learning |location=Belmont, CA |year=2009 |page=120 |isbn=0-495-50874-8 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=}}</ref> The [[conquistador]]s forbade quinoa cultivation for a time<ref>{{cite book |author1=Bernice Kagan |author2=Meredith McCarty |title=Fresh from a vegetarian kitchen |publisher=St. Martin's Press |location=New York |year=1995 |page=56 |isbn=0-312-11795-7 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=}}</ref> and the Incas were forced to grow wheat instead.<ref>{{cite book |author=Andy Turnbull |title=We need to talk: about the future of Canada |publisher=Red Ear Pub |location=Toronto |year=2005 |page=23 |isbn=0-9681258-5-9 |oclc= |doi= |accessdate=}}</ref>

===Rising popularity and crop value===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; margin:1em auto;"
|+ World Quinoa Production (thousand metric tons)
|-
! Country ||1961||1970||1980||1990||2000||2010||2014
|-
| {{PER}}||22.5 ||7.3 ||16.3 ||6.3 ||28.2 ||41.1 ||114.3
|-
| {{BOL}}||9.2 ||9.7 ||8.9 ||16.1 ||23.8 ||36.1 ||77.4
|-
| {{ECU}}||0.7 ||0.7 ||0.5 ||0.7 ||0.7 ||0.9 ||0.8
|-
! Total||32.4 ||17.7 ||25.8 ||23.0 ||52.6 ||78.1 ||192.5
|-
| Export price<ref>calculated from Export volume and value of FAOSTAT</ref> USD/kg|||| $0.080 || $0.492 || $0.854 || $1.254 || $3.029 ||
|-
|colspan=8 style="font-size:75%"|''Source: [[Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations]] (FAO)'' <ref>{{cite web |url=http://faostat3.fao.org/home/index.html#VISUALIZE_TOP_20 |title=FAOSTAT |publisher=FAO Statistics |accessdate=2016-01-09}}</ref>
|}

The grain has become increasingly popular in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, China and Japan where it is not typically grown, increasing crop value.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/14/quinoa-andes-bolivia-peru-crop|title=Quinoa brings riches to the Andes|publisher=The Guardian |accessdate=17 Jan 2013|location=London|first=Dan|last=Collyns|date=14 January 2013}}</ref> Between 2006 and early 2013 quinoa crop prices tripled.<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/16/vegans-stomach-unpalatable-truth-quinoa|title=Can vegans stomach the unpalatable truth about quinoa?|publisher=The Guardian |accessdate=17 Jan 2013|location=London|first=Joanna|last=Blythman|date=16 January 2013}}</ref> In 2011, the average price was US$3,115 per ton with some varieties selling as high as $8,000 per ton.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/14/quinoa-andes-bolivia-peru-crop|title=IQuinoa brings riches to the Andes|publisher=The Guardian |accessdate=17 Jan 2013|location=London|first=Dan|last=Collyns|date=14 January 2013}}</ref> This compares with [[wheat]] prices of $9 per bushel (about $340 per ton). Since the 1970s, producers’ associations and cooperatives have worked toward greater producer control of the market. The higher prices make it harder for people to purchase, but also brings a livable income for farmers and enables many [[urban refugees]] to return to working the land.<ref>{{cite news|title=Quinoa brings riches to the Andes|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/14/quinoa-andes-bolivia-peru-crop|accessdate=5 September 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=14 January 2013|author=Dan Collyns}}</ref>

The popularity of quinoa grain in non-indigenous regions has raised concerns over [[food security]]. Due to continued widespread poverty in regions where it is produced and because few other crops are compatible with the soil and climate in these regions, it has been suggested that the inflated price disrupts local access to food supplies.<ref name="The Guardian"/> In 2013, ''The Guardian'' compared it to asparagus cultivated in Peru, a cash crop criticized for excessive water use,<ref>{{cite news
 | url=http://www.theworld.org/2012/01/peru-asparagus-water-troubles/
 | title=Despite Economic Gains, Peru's Asparagus Boom Threatening Water Table
 | work=PRI's The World
 | date=2011-01-23
 | accessdate=2013-01-17 }}
</ref> as "feeding our apparently insatiable 365-day-a-year hunger for this luxury vegetable[...]"<ref name="The Guardian"/> It has been suggested that, as people rise above subsistence-level income, they choose higher-status Western processed foods. However, anthropologist Pablo Laguna states that farmers are still saving a portion of the quinoa crop for their own use, and that the high prices affect nearby city dwellers more, but consumption in cities has traditionally been lower. According to Laguna, the net benefit of increased revenue for farmers outweighs the costs, saying that it is "very good news for small, indigenous farmers".<ref>{{cite news
 | url=http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/07/16/202737139/is-our-love-of-quinoa-hurting-or-helping-farmers-who-grow-it
 | title=Your Love Of Quinoa Is Good News For Andean Farmers
 | work=NPR
 | author= Allison Aubrey
 | date=2013-06-07
 | accessdate=2013-08-01 }}
</ref>
The transformation from a healthy staple food for farming families and communities into a product that is held to be worth too much to keep for oneself and one's family is an ongoing process. It is seen as a valuable resource that can bring in far greater amounts{{clarify|date=January 2014}} of cheap, low nutrient foods such as pasta and rice.  It used to be seen as a peasant food that provided farming families with a very important source of nutrition, but now occupies a spectrum from an everyday food of urban Bolivia's middle class to a luxury food in the Peruvian capital of Lima where "it sells at a higher per pound price than chicken, and four times as much as rice".<ref name=complicated>{{cite web|author=Tom Philpott |url=http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/01/quinoa-good-evil-or-just-really-complicated |title=Quinoa: Good, Evil, or Just Really Complicated? |publisher=Mother Jones |date= |accessdate=2013-11-24}}</ref>  Efforts are being made in some areas to distribute it more widely and ensure that farming and poorer populations have access to it and have an understanding of its nutritional importance. These include incorporating it into free school breakfasts and in government provisions distributed to pregnant and nursing women in need.<ref name=complicated/>

===Kosher controversy===
Quinoa has become popular in the Jewish community as a substitute for the [[Chametz|leavened grains]] that are forbidden during the [[Passover]] holiday. Several [[kosher]] certification organizations refuse to certify it as being kosher for Passover, citing reasons including its resemblance to prohibited grains or fear of cross-contamination of the product from nearby fields of prohibited grain or during packaging.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/03/25/jews-divided-by-great-passover-debate-is-quinoa-kosher/ |title=Jews divided by great Passover debate: Is quinoa kosher? &#124; National Post |publisher=Life.nationalpost.com |date=2013-03-25 |accessdate=2013-11-24}}</ref>

In December 2013, the [[Orthodox Union]], the world's largest [[kosher certification agency]], announced it would begin certifying quinoa as kosher for Passover.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.forward.com/the-jew-and-the-carrot/189844/quinoa-ruled-kosher-for-passover/|author=Nemes, Hody|date=December 23, 2013|title=Quinoa Ruled Kosher for Passover|publisher=Forward|accessdate=2014-02-07}}</ref>

==International Year of Quinoa==
[[File:Official Logo for the International Year of Quinoa.jpg|thumb|right|Logo of International Year of Quinoa 2013|alt=Logo of International Year of Quinoa 2013]]
The [[United Nations]] [[United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]] declared 2013 as the "International Year of Quinoa" <ref name="UN Resolution 66/221. International Year of Quinoa, 2013" >{{cite book|url=http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N11/472/08/PDF/N1147208.pdf?OpenElement|format=PDF|title=Resolution adopted by the General Assembly|author= United Nations |year=2012}}</ref><ref name="International Year of Quinoa, 2013" >{{cite book|url=http://www.fao.org/quinoa-2013/|title=International Year of Quinoa|author= Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/en/events/observances/years.shtml|title=International Years|publisher=United Nations|accessdate=9 June 2012}}</ref> in recognition of ancestral practices of the [[Andean]] people, who have preserved it as food for present and future generations, through knowledge and practices of living in harmony with nature. The objective is to draw the world’s attention to the role that quinoa could play in providing food security, nutrition and poverty eradication, in support of achieving [[Millennium Development Goals]].

==Gallery==

<gallery>
File:Quinoa.jpg|Quinoa
File:Reismelde.jpg|Quinoa plants
File:Quinoa_flower.JPG|Quinoa flower
File:Dev_black_seed_in_quinoa_flower.JPG|Developing black quinoa seed
File:Superfood- Quinoa (29320190295).jpg|thumb| Quinoa
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[List of cereals]]


==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite journal |author=Pulvento C., M. Riccardi, A. Lavini, R. d’Andria, & R. Ragab (2013). |title=SALTMED Model to Simulate Yield and Dry Matter for Quinoa Crop and Soil Moisture Content Under Different Irrigation Strategies in South Italy. |journal=Irrigation and drainage |doi=10.1002/ird.1727 |volume=62 |pages=229–238}}
*{{cite journal |author=Cocozza C., C. Pulvento, A. Lavini, M.Riccardi, R. d’Andria & R. Tognetti (2012). |title=Effects of increasing salinity stress and decreasing water availability on ecophysiological traits of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). |journal=Journal of agronomy and crop science |doi=10.1111/jac.12012 |volume=199 |pages=229–240}}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Pulvento C, Riccardi M, Lavini A, d'Andria R, Iafelice G, Marconi E |title=Field Trial Evaluation of Two Chenopodium quinoa Genotypes Grown Under Rain-Fed Conditions in a Typical Mediterranean Environment in South Italy|journal=Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science|volume=196 |issue=6 |pages=407–411 |year=2010 |doi=10.1111/j.1439-037X.2010.00431.x }}
* {{cite journal |author=Pulvento, C., Riccardi, M., Lavini, A., Iafelice, G., Marconi, E. and d’Andria, R. |title=Yield and Quality Characteristics of Quinoa Grown in Open Field Under Different Saline and Non-Saline Irrigation Regimes|journal=Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science|volume=198 |issue=4 |pages=254–263 |year=2012 |doi=10.1111/j.1439-037X.2012.00509.x }}
* {{cite journal |author=Gómez-Caravaca, G. Iafelice, A. Lavini, C. Pulvento, M.Caboni, E.Marconi |title=Phenolic Compounds and Saponins in Quinoa Samples (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) Grown under Different Saline and Non saline Irrigation Regimens|journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry|volume=60 |issue=18 |pages=4620–4627 |year=2012 |doi=10.1021/jf3002125 |pmid=22512450 }}
* {{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/world/americas/20bolivia.html |title=Quinoa’s Global Success Creates Quandary at Home |last1= Romero|first1= Simon|authorlink= Simon Romero |last2= Shahriari|first2=Sara |date=March 19, 2011 |work= [[The New York Times]]|publisher= |accessdate=July 22, 2012}}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Geerts S, Raes D, Garcia M, Vacher J, Mamani R, Mendoza J, Huanca R, Morales B, Miranda R, Cusicanqui J, Taboada C |title=Introducing deficit irrigation to stabilize yields of quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa Willd.'') |journal=Eur. J. Agron. |volume=28 |issue= 3|pages=427–436 |year=2008 |doi=10.1016/j.eja.2007.11.008 }}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Geerts S, Raes D, Garcia M, Mendoza J, Huanca R |title=Indicators to quantify the flexible phenology of quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa Willd.'') in response to drought stress |journal=Field Crop. Res. |volume=108 |issue= 2|pages=150–6 |year=2008 |doi=10.1016/j.fcr.2008.04.008 }}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Geerts S, Raes D, Garcia M, Condori O, Mamani J, Miranda R, Cusicanqui J, Taboada C, Vacher J |title=Could deficit irrigation be a sustainable practice for quinoa (''Chenopodium quinoa Willd.'') in the Southern Bolivian Altiplano? |journal=Agric. Water Manage |volume=95 |issue= 8|pages=909–917 |year=2008 |doi=10.1016/j.agwat.2008.02.012 }}
* {{cite journal |vauthors=Geerts S, Raes D, Garcia M, Taboada C, Miranda R, Cusicanqui J, Mhizha T, Vacher J |title= Modeling the potential for closing quinoa yield gaps under varying water availability in the Bolivian Altiplano |journal=Agric. Water Manage |volume=96 |issue= 11|pages=1652–1658 |year=2009 |doi=10.1016/j.agwat.2009.06.020 }}

==External links==
{{Commons+cat|Chenopodium quinoa|Chenopodium quinoa}}
{{wikibooks|Cookbook:Quinoa}}
{{wikispecies-inline|Chenopodium quinoa}}

{{Cereals}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Chenopodium]]
[[Category:Crops originating from the Americas]]
[[Category:Crops originating from Ecuador]]
[[Category:Crops originating from Peru]]
[[Category:Pseudocereals]]
[[Category:Flora of South America]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Quechua words and phrases]]
[[Category:Staple foods]]
[[Category:Tropical agriculture]]