Quinoa - A Brief History
Quinoa has been used for over 5000 years in the diets of people who live in the mountain plateaus of Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Ecuador. These areas provide much of the quinoa being imported into the U.S.and other countries today. How quinoa was discovered and first used dates back to the ancient civilization of Peru.
The Incas were known for their advances in civilization and developed better Quinoa seeds and agricultural practices. The also built an empire of over 1 million people, were advanced in medicine and surgery, and were known for their engineering of roads, bridges, aqueducts, and tunnels. They built Macchu Picchu, one of the most visited sites in South America, with precise architectural measurements. And they discovered quinoa
The Incas advancements in Quinoa agriculture that they considered it sacred and called it chisiya mama or “mother grain.” Besides maize and potatoes, Quinoa was one of the mainstays of their diet and they used it to make a variety of foods. Quinoa was considered so vital to the culture that the Inca emperor conducted an annual ritual in which he would break the soil with a sacred golden spade to plant the first quinoa seed. Legend has it that the Inca army was able to subsist on quinoa and fat on long journeys.
Today the major farming of quinoa occurs in Peru with a report of 3,9998 metric tons in 2009! Quinoa could easily become the next "soy" because the nutritional benefits are much greater, according to one of our suppliers of organic quinoa.
Enjoy browsing this website and learning more about The Quinoa Diet™ and why it is designed for both short term and long term benefits to your health.
